Club Querétaro reached the Leagues Cup 2023 quarterfinals after beating the New England Revolution in penalties, 4-3. One of the keys to the club’s success as been their head coach, and club idol, Mauro Gerk.
Gerk is a former Argentine soccer player who played for clubs like Newell's Old Boys and Quilmes, but who played through his prime in Mexican soccer. He arrived in Mexico in 2002 to play with Querétaro where he spent three years with the club, eventually becoming a fan favorite.
From there he moved on to Xolo de Tijuana. While there he played under Antonio Mohamed, and learned some of his coaching techniques, eventually becoming a Mohamed disciple. In the 2010-11 season, Tijuana won the Apertura title and at the end of the year won the promotion playoff to get into LIGA MX.
In just its third season after promotion, Tijuana won the 2012 Apertura, which would be Gerk’s only title as a player in the top division.
Gerk retired from professional soccer in 2012 while playing for Cruz Azul Hidalgo, but he remains Club Querétaro's second all-time goalscorer, behind only Brazilian Camilo Sanvezzo.
The 'Tanque' began his coaching career in 2019 as the coach for Racing de Avellaneda’s second team. In January 2022, he became the coach for the Defensa y Justicia second team. But four months later, Gerk returned to Querétaro and took over ahead of the 2023 Apertura to replace Hermán Cristiante.
Today he hopes to add to his club legacy by getting into the Leagues Cup 2023 semifinals. His club as been the surprise of the tournament so far. Can he continue this surprise run to a title?
