Mexico have appointed Javier Aguirre as their head coach for a third time after Jaime Lozano was sacked in the wake of their disappointing Copa America campaign.

Mexico finished third in Group B in the United States, only scoring once in their three group-stage matches as they finished behind Venezuela and Ecuador.

El Tri have now suffered three group-stage exits in their last four participations at the Copa America (also in 2011 and 2015), having reached at least the semi-finals at five of their first seven editions.

Lozano paid the price for their failure to reach the knockout stages as he was sacked less than a year after taking over, with the Mexican Football Federation saying he rejected the chance to stay on in a backroom role under a new boss.

Aguirre, who previously led the team between 2001 and 2002 and from 2009 to 2010, has returned for another stint, with Barcelona great Rafael Marquez as his assistant.

"Both are undisputed leaders with distinct personal styles," said national team director Duilio Davino.

"Aguirre is characterised by being a leader who guides and convinces his players and coaching staff through his vision and by creating bonds with his team.

"Rafa leads by example, supported by the fact that he was a high-performance footballer in Mexico and Europe."

Aguirre and Marquez will get the chance to lead their country on home soil at the 2026 World Cup, with Aguirre having previously overseen last-16 exits at the 2002 and 2010 tournaments. 

He led Real Mallorca to the Copa del Rey final last season, only to lose on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao in April.

Mallorca head coach Javier Aguirre has hit out at LaLiga's scheduling as he considered the decision to play in the afternoon heat against Real Madrid "a crime".

Los Blancos maintained their 100 per cent start to the new season with a 4-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu, played under 32-degree heat after kicking off at 2:00pm local time.

The kick-off time left Mexican boss Aguirre furious as he detailed the problems his players had in such temperatures.

"You can't play at this hour, it's a crime. You can see how the players end up after going after the ball," he said in his post-match press conference.

"We are all exhausted, so are the fans. It is very difficult to play at this time, [Vedat] Muriqi with cramps, [Rodrigo] Battaglia with discomfort, Dani [Rodriguez], too.

"I had to change the whole midfield, and we have another one on Saturday at the same time and we have come from another. Let's see if we have better luck in the future."

Carlo Ancelotti also discussed the conditions after the game but came to a different conclusion, understanding the schedule is necessary due to the upcoming World Cup.

"That's the way the calendar is – like today we had to play at 2pm," Ancelotti said. "Fortunately, it wasn't too hot."

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