Mexico coach hit in head by beer can in Honduras

A full can of beer thrown from the stands struck Mexico coach Javier Aguirre in the head after the final whistle of a 2-0 away loss to Honduras in the first leg of a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal.

The incident left Aguirre with a bloody head injury and occurred when he approached Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda to offer a postmatch handshake at Francisco Morazán stadium.

Aguirre brushed off the incident and the injury. “Nothing, nothing, it’s football,” the 65-year-old coach said.

“They deserved to win, they were better than us in areas, I’ve got nothing left but to congratulate them, and well, to try to lift my team’s spirit. The other thing, there’s no point in even mentioning it because well it’s football, I’m not one to complain,” Aguirre said with a smile.

At the start of the postgame news conference, Aguirre pivoted away from criticism and expressed “solidarity with the people of Honduras who are suffering from tropical storm Sara,” as well as support for regions in Spain who have recently dealt with severe weather.

“The FMF unequivocally condemns the acts of violence that occurred tonight at the Francisco Morazán stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Such behavior has no place in our sport,” the Mexican soccer federation said in a statement.

“We demand that CONCACAF take immediate and decisive action to address this matter in accordance with its regulations. Soccer should be a celebration, not a battleground. We urge all parts, including institutions, managers, players, fans, and the media, to work together to create a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved.”

Rueda apologized for the injury and highlighted that the occurrence affected his feelings about the victory.

“I’m sad because he’s a human being,” a stoic Rueda said. “They hit the coach … that can’t happen.”

Aguirre, rehired in July for his third stint as Mexico’s coach, suffered his first defeat of the year after a previous and unbeaten record (2-2-0) at the start of his latest tenure.

After the 2-0 loss to Honduras, Mexico will need to score at least two goals in Tuesday’s home leg of the quarterfinal series that will utilize away goals as a tiebreaker for the aggregate score.

Honduras substitute Luis Palma scored both goals Friday.

The winner of the quarterfinal will enter next spring’s Nations League semifinal round and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The loser will have a second opportunity to qualify for the Gold Cup through a preliminary competition.