Coaches sacked before Libertadores clash
Reuters - Monday 14 February 2011, 23:59
BUENOS AIRES - Colo Colo of Chile, South
American champions in 1991, and Paraguay's Cerro Porteno meet
in the Libertadores Cup on Thursday, just days after losing
their Argentine coaches.
Former Boca Juniors and Argentina midfielder Diego Cagna (pictured)
resigned at the weekend after his Colo Colo team lost 5-1 at
home to Universidad de Concepcion in the Chilean Apertura
championship, their worst defeat in 22 years.
Cagna has gone from "Despreocupado" (unconcerned) - a
nickname given him by fans for his relaxed demeanour - to
"Desocupado" (unemployed).
His days were numbered after Colo Colo threw away a
seven-point lead in the run-in to last season's championship
and were beaten to the Chilean title by Universidad Catolica.
Colo Colo are bottom of the standings having picked up one
point out of nine this season. Universidad de Chile are top
with seven points.
"We players are the most responsible for not getting the
best results," Colo Colo's Chile striker Esteban Paredes was
quoted as saying on the daily El Mercurio's website.
Javier Torrente, assistant to former Velez Sarsfield and
Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa from 1997-2004, was sacked by
Cerro Porteno on Monday after they squandered a two-goal lead
in a 2-2 draw with Rubio Nu in the Paraguayan Apertura.
It was their second successive draw, while title rivals
Olimpia and Libertad have picked up a maximum nine points.
Both teams will be under caretaker coaches, Blas Cristaldo
of Cerro Porteno and Luis Perez with Colo Colo, for the opening
match in Group Five which will be played at the Paraguayan
sides's General Pablo Rojas stadium in Asuncion.
However, Chilean media reported that Argentine Claudio
Borghi, who steered Colo Colo to four successive titles before
taking charge of Boca Juniors last year, could return.
Chile midfielder Rodrigo Millar said: "Claudio will always
be a candidate because he's a super successful coach who did
very well here but he's also been linked with the (vacant job
in the Chilean) national team."