Mascherano to resign as Argentina U20 coach due to poor record

2023-03-02 12:15

Mascherano to resign as Argentina U20 coach due to poor record


Barcelona star Javier Mascherano will resign as Argentina U20 coach due to poor record.


Mascherano, 38, is one of Argentina's iconic defenders of the 2010s. In November 2020, he announced that he would hang up his boots at the University of La Plata, marking the end of his 17-year playing career.


In January 2021, Mascherano joined the Argentine technical team and was in charge of the Methodology and Development Department. The following year, he was appointed as the Argentina U20 coach with a contract of about one year. However, Mascherano failed to lead the team to success.


In this U20 South American Football Championship, the Argentine team only accumulated 3 points and recorded 1 victory after 4 rounds of group matches, and finally got out of the U20 group with Peru. After the game, the voice for Mascherano's resignation was unprecedentedly high, and it happened that the former Barcelona central defender also had the same intention. He immediately told the media: "I have nothing to say, no excuses. I am a loser and I must take responsibility."


"I would like to thank everyone, the president Claudio Tapia for the opportunity, the club and the players for their help over the years; we have given them a lot of trouble for almost a year, including now, in all the preparations middle."


In fact, Mascherano's defeat did not shake the confidence of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). It is understood that AFA President Tapia tried to persuade Mascherano to stay, but was firmly rejected by the latter.


Now, the AFA will have to start looking for a replacement for Mascherano. According to TyC Sports reports, the 43-year-old Argentine star and Scaloni's right-hand man Pablo Aimar is expected to be the Argentina U20 coach. He assisted Scaloni in charge of the Argentina U20 team from July to October 2018 .