- News>
- Football
Uruguay coach gets the boot after Venezuala defeat
Montevideo, Apr 09: Flamboyant Uruguay coach Juan Ramon Carrasco, who had boldly promised to bury his country`s dour soccer traditions, was fired, one week after a 3-0 World Cup qualifying home defeat by Venezuela.
Montevideo, Apr 09: Flamboyant Uruguay coach Juan Ramon Carrasco, who had boldly promised to bury his country's dour soccer traditions, was fired, one week after a 3-0 World Cup qualifying home defeat by Venezuela.
The man known as ''Jr'', who said less than two months ago he rated himself one of the world's top 15 coaches, had been in charge of the twice world champions for 11 months.
Carrasco's fate was sealed at a meeting Tuesday afternoon, said the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF).
''It was concluded that the current situation means we need to face a change of coach,'' said the AUF in a statement.
''It has been unanimously decided to dispense with the services of Senor Juan Ramon Carrasco.''
Carrasco, a surprise appointment with no previous coaching experience at a major club, took over at the end of April 2003 promising to base Uruguay's game, usually associated with tough defence and gamesmanship, on all-out attack.
''Nobody will regret this,'' he said at the time.
The 47-year-old also stood out with his wide-lapelled suits and his extravagant policy of immediately substituting his players if they were booked for bad tackles or dissent.
Victims included Manchester United striker Diego Forlan, taken off at halftime in last year's World Cup qualifier against Chile for a foul.
Carrasco initially won popular support as his team began the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup in Germany with a 5-0 win over Bolivia in September and later came from two goals behind to draw 3-3 in Brazil.
He began to lose popularity in January when the under-23 team, which he also coached, failed to qualify for this year's Athens Olympics.
Further disappointment followed in February when the senior side lost 2-0 to Jamaica in a friendly.
Carrasco invited further criticism by refusing to pick defenders such as Paolo Montero and boycotting news conferences.
The final straw came last week with the thumping home defeat by the team often described as the Cinderellas of South American football.
In his usual style, Carrasco fielded seven players with attacking characteristics and promised his side would have 18 shots on goal and create six clear scoring chances.
Instead, he watched in bemusement on the touchline as they fell apart against a team which had lost on every previous visit to the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo.
Uruguay are sixth in the World Cup qualifying table, with seven points from five games.
Bureau Report
The man known as ''Jr'', who said less than two months ago he rated himself one of the world's top 15 coaches, had been in charge of the twice world champions for 11 months.
Carrasco's fate was sealed at a meeting Tuesday afternoon, said the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF).
''It was concluded that the current situation means we need to face a change of coach,'' said the AUF in a statement.
''It has been unanimously decided to dispense with the services of Senor Juan Ramon Carrasco.''
Carrasco, a surprise appointment with no previous coaching experience at a major club, took over at the end of April 2003 promising to base Uruguay's game, usually associated with tough defence and gamesmanship, on all-out attack.
''Nobody will regret this,'' he said at the time.
The 47-year-old also stood out with his wide-lapelled suits and his extravagant policy of immediately substituting his players if they were booked for bad tackles or dissent.
Victims included Manchester United striker Diego Forlan, taken off at halftime in last year's World Cup qualifier against Chile for a foul.
Carrasco initially won popular support as his team began the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup in Germany with a 5-0 win over Bolivia in September and later came from two goals behind to draw 3-3 in Brazil.
He began to lose popularity in January when the under-23 team, which he also coached, failed to qualify for this year's Athens Olympics.
Further disappointment followed in February when the senior side lost 2-0 to Jamaica in a friendly.
Carrasco invited further criticism by refusing to pick defenders such as Paolo Montero and boycotting news conferences.
The final straw came last week with the thumping home defeat by the team often described as the Cinderellas of South American football.
In his usual style, Carrasco fielded seven players with attacking characteristics and promised his side would have 18 shots on goal and create six clear scoring chances.
Instead, he watched in bemusement on the touchline as they fell apart against a team which had lost on every previous visit to the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo.
Uruguay are sixth in the World Cup qualifying table, with seven points from five games.
Bureau Report