Gallardo appointed coach of Nacional
Reuters - Thursday 30 June 2011, 16:25
MONTEVIDEO - Former River Plate
and Argentina midfielder Marcelo Gallardo has been
appointed coach of Nacional, the Uruguayan champions said.
Gallardo, who also played for Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain
and went to the 1998 and 2002 World Cups with Argentina, hung up
his boots earlier this month after helping Nacional win the
Uruguayan Clausura championship and 2010/11 league title.
"It's official, Marcelo Gallardo is the new coach of
Nacional," the club said on their website.
Juan Ramon Carrasco, the coach who steered three times South
American champions Nacional to the title, resigned over
differences with the club's board.
"There are certain things that you can think about, plan,
and others that happen like this and you have to make
decisions," the 35-year-old Gallardo, nicknamed 'Babyface', was
quoted as saying on Thursday by the daily El Pais
about Nacional's offer.
"I welcome it when such options come up. That a club like
Nacional, whose colours I was defending as a player up to a
short time ago, should look to me to give me the responsibility
of being their trainer makes me proud and is a big challenge.
I'm looking forward to getting started."