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Sergio Batista: I won't Step Down
Following Sergio Batista’s remark that he will not step down as the Coach of the Argentina National team despite the team’s early exit from the Copa America, Argentina Football Association echoed the same statement saying that Batista will continue as the coach of the La Albeceleste.
Humberto Grondona, sub-director of team affairs at the Argentine Football Association defended the coach saying that the organization would keep faith in the man who only officially replaced Diego Maradona six months ago. “There will be no brusque changes – we never thought of going down that road,” said the son of AFA president Julio Grondona
“The technical staff have to have sufficient wisdom to draw conclusions” from the Copa failure to end a trophy drought stretching back to 1993. “The future lies before us – the qualifiers (for the 2014 World Cup),” the junior Grondona added.
After the teams defeat in the Quarter Final of the Copa America 2011 against Uruguay, the Coach was severely criticized for his tactics and not being able to built a team with world class players. He was even though about to resign from his position. But in contrast, the coach issues a statement saying he would continue his work with the team.
“I signed my contract just two months ago and I am not thinking about [resignation] at all. It has not even entered my head. I signed my contract just two months ago and I am not thinking about [resignation] at all. It has not even entered my head,” the coach told reporters in Sunday’s press conference.
Forget quitting his job, Batista is not even agreeing to term the Copa exit as a failure. “I would not call it a failure. We did everything possible to win the Copa. The word failure is very strong, and I don’t think it has been a failure,” he stated.
Argentina next play Romania in Bucharest on August 10, followed by friendlies against Venezuela on Sept. 2 in Kolkata and then with Nigeria in Dhaka on Sept. 6. They will play their first competitive match on October 7, when they take on Chile at home in their first World Cup qualifying fixture.
