By Alfredo Di Cesare
Aug 11, 2024, 2:01 PM EDT
Argentine coach Gustavo Alfaro has controversially resigned from the Costa Rica national team after nine months in charge. His departure comes amid strong rumours that he will be in charge of the Paraguay national team. In South America there is already talk of a robbery between national teams.
The Costa Rican Football Federation announced the news at the end of Friday’s session through a very brief statement in which it did not detail the reasons for the departure of Alfaro and his coaching staff.
“The Costa Rican Football Federation (FCRF) announces that technical director Gustavo Alfaro has decided to leave his position as coach of the Costa Rican national team along with his technical staff, effective today,” the letter reads.
The FCRF informs Mr. Gustavo Alfaro of his decision to leave his position as technical director of the National Team.
We continue to move forward, stronger than ever. At FCRF we will continue to build the path towards the 2026 World Cup. 💪
🇨🇷The Sele is all of us.#FCRF pic.twitter.com/IRHfIy7IZm
— FCRF 🇨🇷 (@fedefutbolcrc) August 9, 2024
Theft between national teams?
Alfaro had been in charge for nine months. Just over a month ago he was in charge of the Copa America and despite his early elimination, he left a good taste in the mouths of a team full of young talent. However, his departure comes amidst rumours of interest from the Paraguayan team in having him in their ranks.
On this matter, the president of the Costa Rican Football Federation, Osael Maroto, said on several occasions that they had not received any offers for the coach.
Rumors indicate that the Paraguayan Federation paid the release clause that Gustavo Alfaro had in his contract to Costa Rica. The Argentine earned an annual salary of $750,000 dollars a year, but the figures for this alleged release clause are unknown.
His departure was an open secret that has already been confirmed. The 61-year-old coach had just qualified and managed Ecuador in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but decided to resign at the end of the ecumenical competition. Before his success in national teams, he had established himself in clubs such as Boca Juniors, Huracán, Gimnasia y Esgrima de la Plata, Tigre, Arsenal, Rosario Central, San Lorenzo, among others.
Alfaro had been in charge of Costa Rica since November 2023 and his contract was set to run until 2026 after the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. With the Argentine on the bench, the Ticos only lost two games. Panama and Argentina were the toughest teams.
Continue reading:
· Costa Rican defender signs for Feyenoord thanks to performance at the 2024 Copa América
· Spain is the champion of the Paris 2024 Olympic football tournament
· Costa Rica closes its participation in the Copa América with a victory over Paraguay [Video]