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Jorge "Tote" Castañeda Technical Director Head of Methodology

Jorge Castañeda Reyes
Technical Director Head of Methodology

I was a professional soccer player from 1989 to 2001, competing in teams such as Atlas, Colorado Rapids in the MLS League, Cruz Azul Hidalgo, and Cruz Azul First Division, achieving runner-up status in the Winter ’99 tournament. I also played for Tigrillos de la UANL, El Paso Patriots in El Paso, Texas, Tecos from UAG, and Lobos BUAP. As a member of the Mexican national team, I participated in the 1990 Central American Games, winning a gold medal in Toluca, Edo. of Mexico, the Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba in 1991, earning a silver medal, and the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain in 1992, where I served as the team captain.

In my role within technical bodies, I’ve dedicated 9 years to one of the best player training academies, Club Atlas, globally recognized for its excellent methodology. Notable players such as Rafael Marquez, Andrés Guardado, Pavel Pardo, Jared Borgetti, Oswaldo Sánchez, Miguel Zepeda, Juan Pablo Rodriguez, Daniel Osorno, and many more have emerged from this esteemed institution.

I’ve also contributed to Cruz Azul alongside Robert Dante Siboldi, a First Division Technician, and Dorados de Sinaloa, where I collaborated with Francisco Rámirez, who served as an assistant in the Mexican National Team under Argentine Technician Ricardo Antonio Lavolpe and Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson. Additionally, I worked as a methodologist for the basic forces of Jaguares de Chiapas and served as the coordinator of Basic Forces at Club America, where we successfully nurtured players like Edson Álvarez (who was later sold to Ajax in Holland) and Diego Lainez (who joined Betis in Spain). As the Director of Basic Forces at Necaxa Club, I organized the Basic Forces, trained the club’s coaches, and established a structure of players poised to make their debut in the First Division.

As a professional soccer player and had an excellent learning experience under nationally recognized coaches in Mexico, such as José Luis Real, Efraín Flores, Ricardo La Volpe, Manuel Lapuente, Enrique Meza, Luis Fernando Tena, and many others. Internationally, I learned from figures like Marcelo Bielsa, Cesar Luis Menotti, Luis Garisto, Pedro García, Eduardo Solari, and Mario Sanabria. I can now impart all that knowledge to new generations of coaches, just as I did for players I mentored, many of whom went on to debut in the top division of the Mexican Liga MX and some even played in Europe.

Career as a footballer

1989-1997
Club Atlas / 1st Division
1990-1992
National Team
1997
Colorado Rapids MLS
1998
Club Deportivo Cruz Azul Hidalgo
1998
Tigrillos de la UANL
1999
Club Deportivo CRUZ AZUL
2000
Tecos UAG
2000 - 2001
Lobos Buap

Experience as a coach

2001 - 2009

Atlas Youth Teams, Coach for the 9th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, Reserves, Ascension League, and First Division categories, as well as Assistant Coordinator of Youth Teams from 2007 to 2009.

2002 - 2003

Instructor at the National School of Technical and Technological Education (E.N.D.I.T.), Guadalajara Campus.

2009 - 2010

Assistant Coach to Robert Dante Siboldi in the CRUZ AZUL team, both in the First Division and Ascension League.

2012

Assistant Coach to Robert Dante Siboldi at DORADOS de Sinaloa.

2013 - 2014

Assistant Coach to Francisco Ramírez at DORADOS de Sinaloa (Copa MX champion and Liga runner-up).

2014

Methodologist for Youth Teams at JAGUARES de Chiapas Club.

2014 - 2017

Methodologist and Coordinator of the Football Area for Youth Teams at Club AMÉRICA.

2017 - 2019

Director of Youth Teams at NECAXA Club.