'He has brought back our DNA' - Santiago Giménez reveals Javier Aguirre prioritizes results over playing beautifully with Mexico

Javier Aguirre is in his third stint as the head coach of El Tri and managed to secure the team's first Nations League title, with the country winning it for the first time in four attempts.

In a recent interview with Christian Martinoli and Luis García for TV Azteca Deportes, Santiago Giménez shared that during his early call-ups under Aguirre, the coach made it clear that he didn’t care about playing beautifully, but rather that his main goal was for other national teams to respect Mexico again.

"Aguirre told us he didn’t care about playing beautifully. He has reminded us who we are, he has brought back our DNA, that we are Mexicans, and he transmits that to us from the moment we arrive at the national team," Gimenez explained. "That also makes us want to step onto the field and defend our country with everything we’ve got."

Giménez is struggling for form in front of goal recently. He is currently on a six-game goalless streak with AC Milan and was also unable to find the net in Mexico’s two Nations League matches. The striker has only scored four goals in 32 appearances for El Tri, but he remains confident in turning things around.

"In the Mexican National Team, my stats are low. I think I’ve been missing that moment of calm when finishing, but I’m sure the goals will come," he said.

Meanwhile, Mexican football legend Hugo Sánchez, who won five Golden Boot titles in Spain’s La Liga with Real Madrid, believes Gimenez needs to rebuild his confidence and it starts on the training pitch.

"Stay calm, don’t get desperate, don’t get discouraged. A striker must always be ready to take as many clear chances as possible—the more, the better. You shouldn’t lose inspiration just because of the eight-game goal drought," Sanchez told ESPN. "It’s been a while since you last scored for Mexico, but that’s just a number. Missing a penalty with Napoli in your last game, well, as strikers, we don’t like to miss. Whenever I missed a penalty, I’d go to training the next day and take 20 to 30 penalties to regain confidence for the next one. Keep your head up—those eight games are just a statistic."

Giménez's most recent goal with the Mexican National Team came on July 17, 2023, in the Gold Cup final against Panama, where Mexico became the champion. In a few months, the national team will compete in the tournament again, aiming to defend their title. However, it has been 16 matches since his last goal. The other teams he has scored against are Haiti (2023), Nigeria (2022), and Chile (2021).

His next opportunity will come during the June FIFA window when Mexico faces Switzerland and Turkey in friendly matches ahead of the Gold Cup. Following that, the Mexican National Team will concentrate on competing in the tournament they have won 12 times, with opponents yet to be confirmed as the draw will take place on April 10.