Diego Cocca
Encyclopedia
Diego Martín Cocca is a former Argentine
footballer and the current manager
of the Mexican Primera División club Santos Laguna
. He played professional football for a number of clubs in Argentina, Spain
and Mexico
.
in 1990. He was part of the squad that won the Apertura 1991 title. Subsequently, the defender had spells with Deportivo Español and Ferro Carril Oeste
in the Argentine Primera División, before joining UE Lleida
in Spain for the 1996–97 season.
Cocca returned to Argentina in 1997 to play for Argentinos Juniors
. In 1999, he went to Mexico to play for Atlas.
In his later career he had two spells with Banfield
, and played for Veracruz
and Querétaro
in Mexico. He the returned to Argentinos Juniors in 2005. In 2006, he retired at the age of 34.
team to play in the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.
, after then-coach Daniel Oldrá stepped down to return to the club's youth divisions. On 3 November 2009, Cocca left Godoy Cruz.
On 23 December 2009, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
hired Cocca as its coach on a one-year deal. The former defender helped Gimnasia avoid relegation
from the first division during the 2009–10 season, after defeating Atlético de Rafaela in the relegation playoff. However, Cocca resigned from his managerial duties after the 8th fixture of the 2010–11 season
, due to the team's bad results during the start of the season.
Cocca on 21 February 2011 was named manager of Mexican side Santos Laguna
after coach Ruben Omar Romano
was fired for supposely making an insulting gesture to Santos fans after a defeat against Queretaro FC
.
On 4 September 2011, Cocca was sacked from his job as Santos Laguna manager after a series of defeats.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
footballer and the current manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
of the Mexican Primera División club Santos Laguna
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise...
. He played professional football for a number of clubs in Argentina, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Club
Cocca started his career with River PlateClub Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
in 1990. He was part of the squad that won the Apertura 1991 title. Subsequently, the defender had spells with Deportivo Español and Ferro Carril Oeste
Ferro Carril Oeste
Club Ferro Carril Oeste, known simply as Ferro Carril Oeste or Ferro, is a sports club from the neighbourhood of Caballito, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The club was founded on July 28, 1904 by 95 railway workers from the Buenos Aires Western Railway...
in the Argentine Primera División, before joining UE Lleida
UE Lleida
Club Lleida Esportiu is a Spanish football team based in Lleida, Catalonia. Founded in 2011, it plays in Segunda División B, holding home games at Camp d'Esports, with a capacity of 13,500 seats.-History:...
in Spain for the 1996–97 season.
Cocca returned to Argentina in 1997 to play for Argentinos Juniors
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
. In 1999, he went to Mexico to play for Atlas.
In his later career he had two spells with Banfield
Club Atlético Banfield
Club Atlético Banfield is an Argentine sports club located in the city of Banfield, part of Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province. Founded on 21 January 1896 by residents of the town of British origin , its main activity is football...
, and played for Veracruz
CD Veracruz
Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz, known as Veracruz, is a Mexican professional football club. Veracruz plays in the Liga de Ascenso de México. Their nickname "Tiburones Rojos" means red sharks. The club was founded in 1943 after two clubs from the city state of Veracruz, Iberia de Córdoba and Veracruz...
and Querétaro
Querétaro FC
Querétaro Fútbol Club, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of Querétaro, Mexico. Queretaro plays in the Primera División of Mexican football league system, after being promoted at the end of the 2008-2009 season from the Primera División A...
in Mexico. He the returned to Argentinos Juniors in 2005. In 2006, he retired at the age of 34.
International
In 1991 Cocca was selected to join the Argentina U-20Argentina national under-20 football team
The Argentina national under-20 football team is the representative of Argentina in FIFA sponsored tournaments that pertain to that age level....
team to play in the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Honours
| Season | Team | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Apertura 1991 | River Plate Club Atlético River Plate Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football.... |
Primera División Argentina Primera División Argentina The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs... |
Managerial career
Cocca took his first step into management by taking over at Comisión de Actividades Infantiles in the Argentine second division. On 29 October 2008, he took over managerial duties at first division team Godoy CruzGodoy Cruz Antonio Tomba
Club Deportivo Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba, known simply as Godoy Cruz, is a sports club from Godoy Cruz, Mendoza Province, Argentina. The club is best known for their football team, that plays in the Primera División, the top level of the Argentine football league system.-History:The club was founded...
, after then-coach Daniel Oldrá stepped down to return to the club's youth divisions. On 3 November 2009, Cocca left Godoy Cruz.
On 23 December 2009, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata Gimnasia y Esgrima was promoted to the first division after becoming champions of the División Intermedia of Argentine football in 1915. Later, in 1929, the club would become champions of the Primera División...
hired Cocca as its coach on a one-year deal. The former defender helped Gimnasia avoid relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the first division during the 2009–10 season, after defeating Atlético de Rafaela in the relegation playoff. However, Cocca resigned from his managerial duties after the 8th fixture of the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Argentine Primera División season
The 2010–11 Primera División season was the eighty-second season of top-flight professional football in Argentina. A total of 20 teams competed in two championships —the Apertura and Clausura— over the course of the season, which started on August 6, 2010 and ended on June 30, 2011, one...
, due to the team's bad results during the start of the season.
Cocca on 21 February 2011 was named manager of Mexican side Santos Laguna
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise...
after coach Ruben Omar Romano
Rubén Omar Romano
Rubén Omar Romano Cachia is an Argentine-Mexican coach and former football player.Romano played in Argentina for Club Atlético Huracán before leaving for Mexico in 1980 to play for Club América. He played in other 7 Mexican clubs: León, Necaxa, Puebla, Querétaro, Cruz Azul and Atlante and Veracruz...
was fired for supposely making an insulting gesture to Santos fans after a defeat against Queretaro FC
Querétaro FC
Querétaro Fútbol Club, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of Querétaro, Mexico. Queretaro plays in the Primera División of Mexican football league system, after being promoted at the end of the 2008-2009 season from the Primera División A...
.
On 4 September 2011, Cocca was sacked from his job as Santos Laguna manager after a series of defeats.