The former Mexican defender has gone through the activities of manager, businessman and technical director since his retirement in August 2018. Today he announced his departure as a coach to undertake a new project
It has been just over two years since Rafael Márquez’s last game as a footballer, with the Atlas and in his participation in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and the former Mexican defender continues to search for ‘a place off the slopes.
Márquez has been part of different projects after his retirement as a professional footballer: he was manager of the Rojinegros, reopened his football and boxing academy, as well as a gym, and began his career as a coach in a youth team of Real Sociedad Esportiva Alcalá, Spain.
However, this Monday he announced his departure as coach of the Spanish team, without giving details about his future, whether he will be on the bench or in the office; he will return to Mexico or stay in Spain, just now that Barcelona is undergoing a restructuring from the board and will begin a new project in the hands of Joan Laporta, the manager who brought him to the Barça team.
Faced with this scenario, in ESPN Digital we present the journey of Rafael Márquez after his retirement from professional football.
Sports Presidency of the Atlas
After retiring as a professional footballer, in August 2018, Rafael Márquez became the Sports President of the Atlas, after the dismissal of Fabricio Bassa, given the poor results of the team red and black.
However, with two coaches in his management and the poor choice of reinforcements, accompanied by poor results, after nine months as a manager, he left his post at the rojinegra institution, with the sale of the Group team Salines in Grup Orlegi in May 2019.
He opened a gym with Julio César Chávez
In January 2020, the “JC Chávez: Boxing Studio” gym was inaugurated in Zapopan, Jalisco, where Márquez teamed up with the historic Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez to start a boxing academy in the state of Jalisco.
In December of that same year the project between both referents of Mexican sport was extended to the inauguration of the gym ‘RM4 Fitness’, in order to provide fitness in addition to the boxing academy in one place.
He inaugurated a football academy
In July of the year 2020, the historical ex-soccer player Mexican inaugurated his academy of soccer in Guadalajara, for children of ages between 6 to 16 years, the project is headed in the sport part by the exformer of Chivas and Atlas, Efraín Flores, and aims to become a team in the Third or Second Professional Division in a few years.
Coach Real Sociedad Esportiva Alcalá
In August of the year 2020, Rafael Márquez initiated his new adventure in soccer, after becoming technical director in Spain and being presented / displayed like strategist of basic forces in Cadet To of the Real Society Esportiva Alcalá.
After completing the theoretical part of his coaching process, in order to obtain his UEFA Pro coaching license, the former Atlas manager began his coaching process in the categories between the 15 and 16 years of age.
Concludes process as DT in Spain
After seven months as coach in Spain in the Cadet A category with the whole of the Real Sociedad Esportiva Alcalá, Márquez announced his departure from the club, through a message on his Twitter account, without announcing the reasons for his departure.
So far the club has not provided any response to the departure of the former Mexican footballer on its website or through its Twitter account.