Efrain Juarez wouldn’t have been at the top of anyone’s list of Celtic manager targets.
The former Hoops midfielder and full-back was a raw player when Neil Lennon brought him to Glasgow in 2010.
He picked up 39 Mexico caps in a career which saw him make an unlikely link-up with former Hoops boss Ronny Deila at Valerenga – he later became Deila’s assistant in his next three jobs.
He was trusted to become manager of Atletico Nacional in Colombia, delivering two trophies before moving to Pumas in Mexico.
He only joined the Mexico City side in March, but has now been claimed to be on the Hoops’ manager shortlist – but he’s had enough already on his plate this week.
Celtic manager target Efrain Juarez caught up in heated controversy in Mexico
Pumas were playing away against Cruz Azul, another one of the biggest clubs in Mexico, in the final game of the regular season, with plenty of ramifications in several parts of the table.
The hosts could finish at the top of the table with a win, whilst Pumas had to win to qualify for the play-offs. Something had to give.
In incredibly dramatic fashion, Pumas completed a late turnaround to seal all three points, with four players carded in the last ten minutes.
But the biggest incident of the match came just before half-time, when Pumas player Adalberto Carrasquilla made a reckless studs-up challenge on Cruz Azul goalkeeper Kevin Mier.
Referee Fernando Hernandez showed a yellow card, and after a five-minute VAR check amid tensions on the pitch, he remarkably stuck to his on-field decision.
This is despite Mier suffering a suspected tibia fracture.
After staying on the pitch, Carrasquilla played an instrumental role in Pumas’ comeback, winning the penalty which led to their equaliser.
He tempered celebrations after the game to apologise to Mier, saying: “My intention was never to take him out of the game, I just wanted to cut out the play… I’m leaving very sad, I ask for his forgiveness in front of him.
But Juarez was not so sympathetic.
In response to Cruz Azul petitioning for a retrospective ban for Carrasquilla, Juarez said: “Tell them to stop whining, this is football.”
There are even now suggestions that Pumas could file a counter-claim over a challenge on one of their own players.
Efrain absolutely not taking any prisoners.
Keylor Navas on Celtic manager target Efrain Juarez
Aged just 37, Juarez is building up an impressive CV in his career so far.
For former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who plays for him at Pumas, it’s not a surprise to see him linked with Celtic.
He told AS Mexico: Weeks ago, the news was that Efra was leaving the team, now it’s that another team [Celtic] wants him, and that’s part of football.
“When a group has that trust, that communication, between the coaching staff and the players, it’s because we’re all on the same page.
“For us as footballers, it’s a privilege when people speak well of our coach. It lets us know we’re in good hands. We know his ability and talent.
“Whether other teams want him, I don’t know if it’s true, but it wouldn’t surprise us at all. Good coaches and good players always have rumours about who wants them, but what we’re clear about is our commitment to this club.”
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