Ricardo Ferretti de Oliveira (born 22 February 1954), also known as Tuca,[1] is a Brazilian-Mexican professional footballmanager and former player who currently works for ESPN Deportes and ESPN Mexico as an analyst.[2]
As a player, Ferretti was an attacking midfielder who specialized in free kicks. He was known for his mobility, powerful right shot and leadership. Ferretti spent most of his playing career with Universidad Nacional, where he is the club's second all-time leading scorer. He also played for Botafogo, Vasco da Gama and Bonsucesso in his native Brazil, and Atlas, Neza, Monterrey and Toluca in Mexico.[3]
Ferretti launched his career in Brazil, entering the Botafogo youth academy, where his brother, Fernando Ferretti, was already playing professionally. He later moved to Vasco da Gama and Bonsucesso, though he found limited playtime at both clubs. In 1977, his agent arranged a move to Mexico to explore new opportunities.
Ferretti arrived in Mexico to strengthen Atlas during the 1977–1978 season. His time with Los Zorros was modest: he joined midway through the campaign with the mission of avoiding relegation. Despite scoring nine goals, his efforts weren’t enough, and Atlas ultimately went down. He left the club at the end of the season and signed with UNAM.
With Pumas, he reached the final of the 1978–1979 season, though Cruz Azul claimed the title. Ferretti, however, remained with the squad and quickly became a key figure. Under the guidance of Bora Milutinović, Pumas reached the final of the 1980–1981 tournament, defeating Cruz Azul 4–2 on aggregate.
Ferretti’s stay with UNAM lasted until 1985. That year, they reached another final, this time falling to Club América, which marked his departure from the institution.
After stints with Neza, Monterrey, and Toluca, Ferretti returned to Pumas for the 1990–1991 season. It was then that he reached the pinnacle of his playing career: in the final against Club América, he scored a stunning free-kick goal that delivered another league title to the auriazules. With 128 goals across all competitions, he cemented his place as the club’s second all-time top scorer.
Following that championship, Ferretti retired as a footballer and immediately took charge of Pumas, beginning his long and successful career as a manager.[6][7]
Coaching Career
Early career
Ferretti began his coaching career in 1991 with UNAM. Five years later, he joined Guadalajara, winning his first title as manager in the Verano 1997 and finishing as runner-up the following season. Over eight seasons with Chivas, he missed the playoffs only once.[8]
In 2000, Ferretti took over Tigres UANL, a team with a strong roster but poor results. He led them to the playoffs in his first season and to a runner-up finish the next. After losing to Monterrey in the Clausura 2003 semi-finals, Tigres chose not to renew his contract.
Ferretti then coached Toluca in the Apertura 2003. Despite consistent playoff appearances, he left in 2004 due to conflicts with José Cardozo. He later joined Morelia, where he helped the team avoid relegation.
Ferretti once again took charge of Tigres in 2006, but was let go after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.[9]
Return to UNAM
Ferretti returned to Universidad Nacional in 2006, during a difficult period marked by poor results and relegation concerns. Under his leadership, the team reached the final of the Apertura 2007, where they lost to Atlante.
In the Clasura 2009, Ferretti took Pumas back to the finals, where they claimed the title after defeating Pachuca.[10]
Third Spell with Tigres
Ferretti returned to Tigres in the Apertura 2010 for his third spell as head coach. At the time, the club was facing relegation concerns, but his arrival marked a turnaround. In the Apertura 2011, Tigres won the league title by defeating Santos Laguna in the final, ending a 29-year championship drought.
In the Clausura 2014, Tigres reached the final but lost to Club América. The following year, Ferretti led the team to the 2015 Copa Libertadores final, where they finished as runners-up against River Plate. Later that year, Tigres won the Apertura 2015 title by defeating UNAM. They added another league championship in the Apertura 2016, beating Club América, though they lost the subsequent Clausura 2017 final to Guadalajara.
In the Apertura 2017, Tigres won the first Clásico Regiomontano league final against Monterrey. On November 25, 2018, Ferretti managed his 1,082nd league match, surpassing Ignacio Trelles as the coach with the most league matches in Mexican football.[11] In the Clausura 2019, Tigres defeated León to secure another league title, giving Ferretti his seventh overall and tying Trelles’ record.[12]
In December 2020, Ferretti guided Tigres to their first-ever CONCACAF Champions League title after defeating Los Angeles FC. This triumph marked the tenth and final official trophy of Ferretti's remarkable 11-year tenure at the club. His final match at the helm took place on May 8, 2021.[13][14]
Late Career
On 3 June 2021, Ferretti was appointed manager of Juárez. On 6 May 2022, Ferretti and Juárez parted ways in amicable terms.
On 22 February 2023, Ferretti became the new head coach of Cruz Azul.[15] On 7 August 2023, he was dismissed from his position.[16]
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