Rafa Márquez stepped down as head coach of Barça Atlètic less than a month after renewing his contract to join the Mexico national team as assistant to Javier Aguirre.
During his two seasons at Barça Atlètic, Márquez led the team to the playoffs for promotion to the Segunda División twice. In the 2025/26 season, the team reached the semifinals, losing to Córdoba, while in the previous campaign they fell to Real Madrid Castilla in the semifinals. Márquez also contributed to the development of players like Pau Cubarsí, Marc Bernal, and Gerard Martín.
In his new role with Mexico, Márquez plays an active part in daily team preparation at the 2026 World Cup, where Mexico has won all four matches without conceding a goal. Head coach Aguirre commented: “Rafa comes to learn but also to contribute. He’s not just there for show. His progress has been remarkable — today you can tell he’s the coach, and I don’t see any issues.”
The plan from the beginning was for Márquez to become the head coach after Mexico’s World Cup campaign concludes. Meanwhile, Albert Sánchez, Márquez’s former assistant, took over Barça Atlètic.
This change in Barça Atlètic’s coaching staff reflects the club’s broader strategy to develop its personnel and collaborate with international projects like the Mexico national team.
