Soccer-Gareca steps down as Chile coach after failure to qualify for World Cup
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - CONMEBOL Qualifiers - Paraguay v Chile - Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asuncion, Paraguay - March 20, 2025, Chile coach Ricardo Gareca reacts during the match REUTERS/Cesar Olmedo/File Photo
SANTIAGO, Jun 10 (Reuters) -Ricardo Gareca confirmed he has stepped down as Chile head coach after their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup ended with a 2-0 away loss to Bolivia on Tuesday.
"We made a decision, with the coaching staff (...) with the entire delegation. We told them that we want to ease the situation," said Gareca during a brief press conference after the match in El Alto, where he did not take questions.
"The results never went with us, at any time. We did not produce results, Chile is in a situation that no one would have wished for."
The defeat left Chile bottom of the South American table with only 10 points and two games remaining in the qualifying round.
"La Roja" will miss out on the World Cup for the third time in a row, after failing to qualify for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 following a historic era that saw them win the Copa America in 2015 and 2016.
Under Argentine manager Gareca, who was appointed in 2024, Chile only managed one win in 13 official games.
(Report by Manuel Farias and Javier Leira; Writing by Janina Nuno Rios; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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