Peru’s soccer coach, Argentine Ricardo Gareca, ruled out this Friday to resign despite the poor results in the four dates of the South American qualifier for the World Cup in Qatar-2022.
“At no time did it cross my mind to leave the Peruvian team. I have a contract to fulfill, “Gareca said in a video press conference from Buenos Aires, where he is located.
Also read: “Tell me things in my face”: Zidane exploded at the Real Madrid press conference
“We have a mission and that is to lead the national team to qualify for the World Cup and if not,, leave something armed. There is always work to be done. My intention is to fulfill the contract until the last consequences, “said the coach.
Gareca, 62, has been managing Peru since 2015. The ‘Tiger’ is revered by Peruvian fans after having led the Inca team to Russia-2018 after 36 years of absence from the World Cup.
With three defeats and a draw in the first four dates of the tie, Peru accumulates just one point and is penultimate in the South American table, only above Bolivia, which marches with the same points but with a worse balance of goals.
Of interest: Cristiano and Ramos, best players of the UEFA decade; Messi and Neymar in Conmebol
“Although we did not have a desired start, I am sure we are in good shape to turn things around, “Gareca said.
Peru’s next game will be on March 25 against Bolivia at the height of La Paz, where it has never won in qualifying rounds, and five days later it will host Venezuela in Lima.
Ricardo Gareca, called this Friday “dangerous” the measures taken by the Government to stop the advance of the coronavirus, which keeps footballers inactive in the face of the restart of the South American qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
“I know how to take care of the covid, (…) what I do not know is how to proceed with the measures that are taken. I think that the covid is dangerous, of that I have no doubt, but I think that the measures are also dangerous” because ” they generate a lot of inconveniences “, Gareca snapped from Buenos Aires, in a telematic press conference.
The coach of the white and red team said that the return to confinement, and the consequent impediment to return to professional sports, was a “hard blow”, a “too hasty decision” that “surprised” him and made him remember “the great sacrifice” that football made during the first wave of COVID infections -19.
“Football has shown itself to handle itself very well, I see no reason for those who handle themselves well to be punished, in a certain way, forced to lead a situation in which they are harmed,” he criticized.