Bleeding from Beer Can Terror... What Happened to Mexico National Team Coach, 'Lee Kang-in's Mentor'?

Director Javier Aguirre Hit by Beer Can
Draws Attention for Calm Attitude Despite Bleeding

Javier Aguirre, the Mexico national football team coach who was the manager during Lee Kang-in's time at Paris Saint-Germain, was hit on the head by a beer can thrown from the stands.

According to AP News and others on the 16th (local time), the Mexico national football team lost 0-2 to Honduras in the first leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals held at Estadio Francisco Morazan in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Coach Javier Aguirre is bleeding after being hit by a beer can thrown from the stands. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

After the match, Coach Aguirre moved to shake hands with the Honduras coach. However, during this process, a beer can flew from the stands and hit Aguirre directly on the head. Although there was heavy bleeding from his head, Aguirre remained composed and approached the Honduras coach to shake hands. The Honduras coach wiped Aguirre’s blood and showed concern instead.

At the subsequent press conference, Coach Aguirre said, "This is football. I am not someone who complains," and added, "I will not speak about anything other than football."

Javier Aguirre, the coach, is bleeding after being hit by a beer can thrown from the stands. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

CONCACAF issued a statement saying, "Such violent behavior is not tolerated in football. We prioritize the safety of each team and their fans," and emphasized, "We will investigate the incident and refer it to the disciplinary committee."

Meanwhile, Aguirre led Mexico in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and the 2010 South Africa World Cup, and took charge of the Mexico national team for the third time in July. He was also appointed as the Japan national team coach in August 2014 but was dismissed after seven months due to match-fixing scandal allegations from his time managing Zaragoza (Spain) in 2011 and the team's poor performance in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup quarterfinals.

Later, in March 2022, Aguirre took the helm at Mallorca, where he worked closely with Lee Kang-in, who was a key forward for the team at the time. In May 2023, after Lee Kang-in achieved double-digit attacking points with 6 goals and 4 assists (season final 6 goals and 7 assists), Aguirre praised him, saying, "This is the best time during the one year I have been with the team. I am happy to be with Lee Kang-in."