Santiago de Chile (dpa) – After the defeat in qualifying for the soccer World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year, Chile has signed a new national soccer coach:
Former Argentine professional Eduardo Berizzo will take over as coach, Chilean Football Federation President Pablo Milad said on Thursday. The previous coach Martín Lasarte was fired after failing to qualify for the World Cup.
Berizzo was assistant coach for the Chilean national team between 2007 and 2010 under legendary Argentinian coach Marcelo Bielsa. In addition, the former midfielder coached the Spanish clubs Celta Vigo, FC Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao and most recently the Paraguayan national team.
With a complaint to FIFA, Chile is currently trying to secure a place in the World Cup in Qatar. The world football association has already initiated disciplinary proceedings because of doubts about the origin of the Ecuadorian international Byron Castillo. If the eight World Cup qualifiers in which Castillo was involved are counted as victories for their respective opponents, Ecuador could lose their place at the World Cup and Chile could move up.