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Youth coach takes over Chile’s faltering World Cup campaign

Chile’s football federation on Friday put youth team coach Nicolas Cordova in temporary charge of the senior team after Eduardo Berizzo resigned following a goalless draw with Paraguay in World Cup qualifying. 

Thursday’s draw in Santiago, in the fifth of 18 rounds of group play, left Chile eighth in the 10-team group. The top six qualify automatically. The seventh goes into an inter-continental playoff.  

Berizzo, a 54-year-old Argentine, took over the team in May 2022 after Chile failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. He won only one competitive game in his time in charge, at home to Peru, who are bottom of the group, in October.

“I expressed my wish to leave my job to the president of the Federation. The results were not those hoped for and we must know how to recognise that,” he said, before adding: “I believe that our chances of qualifying exist and are intact.”  

Chile has failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, in 2018 and 2022.

Berizzo is the third national coach, all Argentines, to depart since the start of qualification in September. 

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, was dismissed by the Paraguay after the second round of games.

Gustavo Costas was dismissed as coach of Bolivia after the fourth round. 

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