Efrain Juarez has reportedly signed his contract to take over as manager of ETO FC Gyori.
If that club name sounds familiar to you, it’s because last month, FC Gyori sealed a surprise league title at the expense of Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros.
Keane then left the Hungarian club and commenced a week of talks with Parkhead majority shareholder Dermot Desmond, ultimately losing out on the job to Martin O’Neill.
Last week, reports in Mexico claimed that Juarez had been holding talks with Celtic over a coaching role with a view to becoming manager, but this has now been quashed.
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Efrain Juarez ‘signs contract’ as ETO FC Gyori manager
According to Mexican reporter David Faitelson, Juarez has now signed his contract to manage the Hungarian champions.
Faitelson also mentions that Juarez had held talks with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Mallorca. Miles off what we were told last week.
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It completes a domino effect commenced by Keane’s Ferencvaros departure; the Budapest club replaced him with Balazs Borbely, the man who won the title with Gyori.
Juarez made 21 appearances for Celtic in his early playing career. Coincidentally, he was given his coaching break by ex-Hoops boss Ronny Deila.
Eyebrows were raised when Juarez was named as a left-field contender for the Celtic job last winter, before the club eventually opted for Wilfried Nancy.
Since launching his career as a manager, he has made history with a double in Colombia before coming within a match of delivering a Clausura regular season and play-off double with boyhood club Pumas UNAM.
His style of football is described as “intense and aggressive” by Mexican outlets, characterised by high pressing and rapid transitions. Despite finishing top of the Apertura table, they ranked ninth for possession.
He is now set to achieve his long-term goal of managing in Europe.
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Efrain Juarez on Celtic links
Speaking to the Mexican media last year, Juarez said that there was interest in his services from Celtic.
He said: “Obviously, there has been interest from other clubs. In every sense, that, for me, is not distracting.
“I think we know perfectly well that the club is aware of the situation, because I also played there (at Celtic). And it’s not easy for a young Mexican coach to be involved in that type of club.
“For me, they obviously see and think that maybe we’re doing a good job. In that respect, I’m calm.”
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