Alejandro ‘El Güero’ Burillo Azcárraga, former Televisa executive, Atlante owner and promoter of the Mexican Open Tennis, died on April 16 at age 74. The Mexican Football Federation and the tournament organization confirmed his passing. Sports journalists mourned his death.
The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) confirmed the death of Alejandro Burillo Azcárraga, former director of the National Teams Commission. “The Mexican Football family regrets the sensitive passing of Alejandro Burillo Azcárraga, businessman, former director of the National Teams Commission, we extend our sincerest condolences”, the FMF stated on X.
The Mexican Open Tennis, which Burillo promoted from its first edition in 1993 in Mexico City and elevated from ATP 250 to 500, moving the venue to Acapulco in 2001, also mourned his death. Burillo, who worked at Televisa and sold his shares in 2000 to his cousin Emilio Azcárraga Jean, helped create the FMF's High Performance Center.
José Ramón Fernández said: “I knew him well and we had many professional encounters over the years”. Fernando Schwartz wrote: “It hurts a lot. (...) ‘El Güero’ was a great guide, friend and boss from the heart”.
Born in 1951 in Mexico City, Burillo owned Atlante from 1996 to 2018, winning the title in 2007 after moving it to Cancún. He founded Grupo Pegaso in 1996 and was a major shareholder in IXE Banco, Telefónica Movistar and Hotel Ventanas al Paraíso. His body will be laid in state in the capital.
