Born in Mexico City in 1988, Efraín Juárez began his football journey in the academy of Pumas UNAM. His first major breakthrough came in 2005 when he helped Mexico’s U17 national team win the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Following that success, his career took an international turn as he continued his development at FC Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy.

Primarily operating as a left-back or defensive midfielder, Juárez later returned to his boyhood club in Mexico, where he played an important role in Pumas’ Liga MX title-winning campaign in 2009.

His playing career then took him to Europe, where he represented both Celtic FC and Real Zaragoza. The longest spell of his career came with CF Monterrey, where he remained until 2018. He eventually brought his playing days to a close in Norway.

Following his retirement, Juárez quickly moved into coaching. His first significant role came in New York, where he joined Ronny Deila’s staff as an assistant coach, marking the beginning of his managerial journey. When Deila moved to Belgium, Juárez followed him to Standard Liège, continuing his development as an assistant coach. In 2023, he accepted an offer from Club Brugge and joined the Belgian side’s coaching staff.

His head coaching career began in 2024, and success followed almost immediately. Juárez took charge of Atlético Nacional in Colombia and, within a matter of months, guided the club to both the domestic cup and league titles. In 2025, he returned to his footballing home, Pumas UNAM, this time as head coach. According to the Mexican media, he quickly established a reputation for his energetic, passionate and highly motivational approach, leading the club to the Liga MX final in 2026.

Juárez joins ETO FC as one of the game's emerging young coaches, bringing extensive international experience despite his age, particularly from European and American football environments.

Welcome to Győr, Efra, and best of luck at ETO FC!