Caracas (AFP) – Veteran Argentine coach Jose Pekerman was appointed Tuesday to take over the Venezuela national team, tasked with leading them to the 2026 World Cup.
“I know I’m in the right place. We have one idea in common: leave a mark,” the 72-year-old Pekerman said during his presentation in Caracas.
Venezuela are the only member of CONMEBOL never to have qualified for a World Cup. They are already out of the running for next year’s tournament in Qatar with four qualifiers still to play.
Pekerman coached Argentina to the 2006 World Cup, losing on penalties to hosts Germany in the quarter-finals. He led Colombia to the same stage of the 2014 World Cup and then to the last 16 in Russia.
He replaces Leo Gonzalez, who was in charge on an interim basis after the resignation of Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro in August over unpaid wages.
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