Four Colombia new boss candidates have emerged since Reinaldo Rueda was sacked due to their failure in the world cup qualifying round.
Colombia finished sixth in the final standings of the CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 qualifiers, meaning they will miss the World Cup for the first time since 2010. Reinaldo Reuda’s men’s form was disappointing in the latter stages, with only two wins in their last five games. It was a significant decrease from the start of his reign in 2021. This was insufficient to secure a spot in the intercontinental playoff, which was eventually snatched by Peru.
It’s no surprise that Colombia’s football federation was forced to make this critical decision for the sake of their national team’s future. Their star-studded squad including Luis Diaz, James Rodriguez, and Juan Cuadrado still deserves to be in Qatar 2022. They are currently pondering several names for the Colombia new boss to be appointed in the near future, including some foreign figures.
Four Colombia New Boss Candidates Have Been Tipped to Replace Reinaldo Rueda
The Native Candidates
According to Ramon Jesurun, president of the Colombia Football Federation, the preferred candidates must be knowledgeable about Colombian Football and have experience guiding national teams. Therefore, Costa Rica’s head coach, who is also Colombian and has been touted by the media, Luis Fernando Suarez, is ruled out.
Two native candidates are said to be under consideration at the moment. They are the former Mexico manager, Juan Carlos Osorio and the ex-Costa Rica boss, Jorge Luis Pinto.
Osorio has been well known since taking charge of El Sombrero in World Cup 2018 and defeating Germany 1-0 in their opener. Unfortunately, he left the post after only leading Guillermo Ochoa and Co to the round of 16. The 60-year-old coach has also won the four titles in the Colombian top tier league, one with Once Caldas and three with Atletico Nacional.
Meanwhile, Jorge Luis Pinto is another senior figure being eyed by the federation. He was once at the helm of Falcao and Co between 2007 and 2008. Yet, his first spell was not exactly memorable. His most notable achievement was reaching the quarter-final in World Cup 2014 with Costa Rica. Pinto led them to advance from the group of death after beating Uruguay 3-1, Italy 1-0 and sharing spoils in a goalless draw versus England. His team even managed to ease past Greece on penalties in the round of 16 before being eliminated by the Netherlands, also via the shootout.
The Foreign Contenders
The foreign contenders for Osorio and Pinto come from Argentina. It is no surprise that they consider appointing a coach from their neighbouring country to reignite their best result in world cup history. Their last two successes in qualifying for the final rounds were during Jose Pekerman’s reign. The Argentine boss brought James Rodriguez to shine in Brazil 2014 as well as his team went through to the quarter-final.
Marcelo Bielsa has been among the favourites as he is currently unattached. The 66-year-old eccentric manager just ended his spell with Leeds United this season due to his team’s poor form. Despite the fact that he has never won a major continental title for his clubs in his career, Bielsa is a globally respected figure. His best accolades in the clubs were only being runner-up in UEFA 2013 with Athletic Bilbao, Copa Libertadores 1992 with Newell’s Old Boys plus a league title in 1998 for Velez Sarsfield. In international football, the former Marseille boss only managed to guide Argentina become the runner-up in Copa America 2004 before winning a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and led Chile to the round of 16 in World Cup 2010.
Another one on the list is Ramon Diaz. He was the star in Albiceleste in early 1980s and the former River Plate boss. His memorable achievement was clinching Copa Libertadores title in 1996 with Los Millonarios. Diaz’s only experience in the national team was when he was at the helm of Paraguay from 2014 to 2016. The former duet of Maradona while winning World Cup U20 in 1979 could only help his team go through the semifinal in Copa America 2015. He is currently in charge of Saudi Arabian side, Al-Hilal.
Colombia New Boss Candidates Main Photo:
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 06: Manager Marcelo Bielsa of Leeds United looks on during the FA Cup Third Round match between Queens Park Rangers and Leeds United at Loftus Road on January 6, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)