Tata Martino quits Argentina over latest wrangles with Argentine FA
ByReuters
Updated 05/07/2016 at 19:16 GMT
Argentina coach Gerardo Martino resigned on Tuesday citing a leadership vacuum at the Argentine FA (AFA) and problems trying to pick an 18-man squad for the Olympic soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro in August.
The former Barcelona coach has led Argentina to two Copa America and one World Cup final in the last three years, all of which have ended in defeat.
But it is not the disappointment of those bitter endings that spelled the end - indeed, many teams would be delighted to have got so far in even one of those tournaments, and Argentina's prowess in the international game has earned them a huge lead atop FIFA's world rankings.
Instead, it is the infamously Byzantine shenanigans inside the Argentine FA that have precipitated the demise of the 53-year-old.
"Owing to the lack of decisions in naming new authorities in the Argentine Football Association and serious problems in choosing the squad to represent the country at the upcoming Olympic Games, the national team's coaching staff has decided to present its resignation today," said a statement issued by the AFA in Martino's name.
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