The Peruvian Football Federation announced that Argentine Ricardo Gareca has relinquished his duties as coach of the national team following seven successful years with Blanqueroja.
The 64-year-old Argentine, nicknamed “El Tigre”, led the Peruvian national team to the 2018 World Cup, 36 years following the last participation of “Pecolor” in the World Cup.
He also contributed to the participation of Peru following its fifth place in the joint group of South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the international supplement, but he failed to overcome the obstacle of the Australian team by losing 5-4 on penalties following they drew negatively at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium on 13 June.
Peru, ranked 21 in the world and led by Gareca since 2015, failed to reach the World Cup for the sixth time following 1930, 1970, 1978, 1982 and 2018.
Gareca became a living icon in Peru. Under his leadership, the team reached the final of the Copa America in 2019, losing to hosts Brazil 3-1.
The Peruvian Federation did not reveal an alternative name for Gareca, while the most prominent local clubs criticized him for “bad management” of negotiations with the Argentine coach.