Ricardo Gareca has signed with Chile, he will make his debut against a powerhouse and will have the difficult challenge of reaching the World Cup

Ricardo Gareca returns to direct. The 65-year-old Argentine coach, fresh from a bad spell at Vélez Sarsfield, has been absent from activity in the second half of 2023 and will now return to the ring to lead the team. Chile selection.

After starting the Qualifiers for him World Cup 2026 With only one victory in six matches, La Roja has now chosen Tigre to command the destinies of the trans-Andean team, which will try to play in a World Cup again after having been absent from the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 editions.

According to what was reported to the EFE agency by sources close to the Chilean Football Federation (FFCh), Gareca will appear on Thursday after signing a contract until the end of the qualifiers and so a new stage of an Argentine coach in Chile will be officially inaugurated.

He replaces the coach, vice-champion of America with the Peruvian national team in 2019 Eduardo Berizzo, who resigned last November at the end of the match in which Chile drew goalless at home against Paraguay.

On social networks, the Chilean team shared a publication with the image of the face of a feline, the scratch of a claw and a roar above the photo of the National Stadium, the traditional stadium in which La Roja plays the matches, which is presumed both A announcement before the officialization of Gareca.

According to recent information, he arrives with the bulk of the work team he had both in Peru and in his last stop at Vélez: Oscar Ibañez, goalkeeper of the Peruvian national team, Néstor Bonillo, physical trainer linked to Alianza de Chile, and assistants Sergio Sintin and Hugo Alves.

The appointment had been expected since last December, after the Chilean press reported that both parties had reached an agreement, after a meeting in Buenos Aires, but that to be finalized the Argentine coach would have had to resolve previous contractual issues in Peru. Everything seems to be ready.

Gareca managed seven clubs in Argentina (Vélez Sarsfield in two periods, Talleres de Córdoba in four, Independiente, Argentinos Juniors, Quilmes, Colón and San Martín de Tucumán) and won six titles: the 1998 Primera B Nacional and the 1999 Copa Conmebol with the T and First Division titles with Fortín in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Furthermore, he worked in Brazil with Palmeiras, in Colombia with two important clubs such as Independiente de Santa Fe and América de Cali, where he also played in the 80s, and in Peru, before arriving in the national team, he went through the Universitario de Sports (he won the 2008 Apertura there).

In Spain he was assistant coach of Elche for a semester between 2003 and 2004, together with his friend Oscar Ruggeri.

What’s coming to Chile

Gareca will make his debut at the helm of the Chilean national team in the FIFA match in March, where two international friendlies are scheduled. One of these will be against France, as guests, at the Marseille Velodrome on Tuesday 26 March.

Subsequently, he will have his first official competition with the America’s Cupin which they will share the group with Peru, Argentina and the winner of the repechage between Canada and Trinidad and Tobago.

Then the big objective, the qualifications. The World Cup qualifying contest will resume in September with Argentina as guests and Bolivia as home team. Then, in October they will host Brazil and visit Colombia, while they will close the year in November against Peru in Lima and Venezuela in Santiago.