BUENOS AIRES (AFP) – Argentina’s Copa America flop has cost coach Sergio Batista his job as the Argentine Football Association said Monday they were parting ways with the manager.
AFA’s Ernesto Cherquis Bialo confirmed Batista’s departure after a meeting of the AFA executive committee on Monday.
Although Batista only officially replaced Diego Maradona six months earlier, his days had appeared to be numbered after Argentina exited the Copa on home soil after a quarter-final shootout loss to old rivals Uruguay — who went on to win the title.
Batista was vilified in the press for not seeming to know his best team — he chopped and changed after a poor start before Carlos Tevez, whom he dropped after two games, returned to miss the decisive spotkick against Uruguay.
There was no immediate word on a successor, athough the main candidates appear to be Alejandro Sabella and Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino.
As a player, Sabella had brief stints with Sheffield United and Leeds. He is set to take charge of Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates.
Sabella won the Copa Libertadores with Estudiantes two years ago.
Cherquis Bialo insisted that Batista “wasn’t sacked” but in fact the AFA unilaterally decided to cut ties with the coach who
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