Mexico legend Rafa Marquez is back in Guadalajara at his first club Atlas to put the finishing touches on a career some will suggest is the best of any Mexican player in history.
But the debate about whether Marquez fits in just ahead or behind Hugo Sanchez as Mexico's best can wait until the "Kaiser de Michoacan" actually does retire. Right now, Marquez has one major objective left in his club career: to win the first league championship for Atlas since 1951.
"It would be the cherry on the cake to finish with a title with Atlas," Marquez said during Monday's news conference. "This would be the most important [title] of my career."
Cue the questions and polls in the Mexican press on Monday and Tuesday about whether Marquez winning the Liga MX with Atlas would be a greater achievement than his Champions League titles, La Liga wins and becoming the only player to captain his side at four World Cups.
However ridiculous the question posed may sound, it does sum up just how much Atlas and their long-suffering fans -- known as "the faithful" for turning up despite the lack of glory -- are desperate for a title. And Marquez counts himself as one of those Atlas fans who has been counting the almost 65 years since that last, and only, national title.
Certainly, the arrival of Marquez given the institution -- which is one of the oldest in the league -- is an important lift.
A couple of hundred fans and media workers arrived at Guadalajara airport Saturday night to greet Marquez on his return from Hellas Verona in Italy, and he struggled to reach the awaiting car as chants of "Capitan, Capitan" sounded and people swarmed to take selfies.
Rafa salió y no pudo avanzar. Seguridad lo regresa al interior del aeropuerto por precaución. @ESPNmx pic.twitter.com/LSocaE6nQU
- Ernaldo Moritz (@Ernaldo58) December 20, 2015
The euphoria surrounding the club's greatest export continued Tuesday as Marquez was presented to the Atlas fans at the Estadio Jalisco. Around 7,000 turned up in the stadium. Cries of "Ole, ole, ole, Rafa, Rafa" from the team's "Barra 51" fan group rang around the two-time World Cup stadium as Marquez was announced.
"We can't guarantee a title," Marquez said. "But we will give everything trying."
Marquez is right to both emphasize just how incredible it would be for him to win a title with Atlas and stress how difficult it will be.
Last season Atlas finished in 16th position in the Apertura regular-season table, above only Club Tijuana and Dorados. Aside from Marquez, Dieter Villalpando, Rodrigo Salinas, Oscar Ustari, Egidio Arevalo, Jose Maduena and Julio Nava have come in this offseason. The likes of goalkeeper Ustari and midfielder Arevalo should provide a significant boost, but competition in the Liga MX is strong heading into 2016 and there is no real reason to think Atlas are anything but a mid-table team.
Last season also started with a wave of positivity when Gustavo Matosas took over from Tomas Boy. His attack-minded philosophy seemed to suit a club with a history of producing sides that are easy on the eye but things quickly turned sour and Matosas left in early November.
Recent signings like Gonzalo Bergessio from Sampdoria and Brazilian Keno have fallen flat and there has been some criticism from locals about how the team's transfer policy has been run since TV Azteca bought the institution two years ago.
Incoming coach Gustavo Costa has a lot of work to do to get his team near the top of the league and does not have any previous experience of managing in Mexico.
Marquez could be the spark Los Rojinegros need and his arrival has fueled excitement. But he is also not getting any younger. Still, Marquez's career has rarely been boring and seeing how his second spell at Atlas develops is a storyline not to miss this Clausura 2016.