After winning the Gold Cup, you would think things would be good for Mexico manager Miguel Herrera, right? After all, his team just thrashed Jamaica and earned a playoff spot for a chance to see if they get to go to the Confederations Cup. Time for celebration! Or, allegedly, time for fighting.
Mexico manager Miguel Herrera allegedly attacks reporter in airport
This looks bad for Herrera.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Miguel Herrera reportedly lawyering up. Being told by colleagues he assaulted a journalist last night after Gold Cup final. #Developing
— Juan Arango (@JuanG_Arango) July 27, 2015 That’s Al-Jazeera writer Juan Arango speaking of reports that Herrera attacked TV Azteca commentator Christian Martinoli at Philadelphia International Airport near the security line, rushing him from behind and punching him in the neck. The exact reason for the confrontation is unknown, but Martinoli has been extremely critical of Herrera and El Tri in recent months, especially after their elimination from the Copa America tournament earlier this summer.
Needless to say, if this is true, it likely spells the end of Herrera's time as Mexico's coach, and potentially threatens his career as well. You just can't go around punching people when you're in a position like that, and you especially can't go around in public threatening to kill them, as Martinoli claims Herrera did during the altercation. The whole scuffle ending with Herrera shouting at Martinoli and saying that they should go outside and "finish this as it should be" isn't stellar, either.
There are a pair of oddities to this, though -- so far, the named figures giving details are all TV Azteca employees, an outlet that has been hyper-critical of Herrera lately. There’s Martinoli, obviously, but David Medrano, who first broke the news on Twitter, is also a TV Azteca employee, and the most-named witness, Luis Garcia, is one of Martinoli’s broadcast partners. Add that to the fact that somehow no one got arrested despite this happening in front of the security check line of an American airport, where security and safety are Priority 1 through 20, and something seems a little off.
This is very much a developing story, with a number of elements still to be revealed including any potential video of the altercation. It’s easy to jump to conclusions, but in a situation as potentially volatile as this, patience and caution are vital as things continue to unfold.
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