‘Confederations fatigue cost Chile chance to go to World Cup’

Feb 28, 2018 at 2:51 PM

facebook iconlinkedin iconmail icontwitter iconWhatsApp iconTelegram icon
‘Confederations fatigue cost Chile chance to go to World Cup’

Santiago (Chile), Feb 28: Chile’s national coach Reinaldo Rueda has said the squad failed to qualify for the World Cup under predecessor Juan Antonio Pizzi because the starters were worn out from the Confederations Cup.

“If Chile had planned strategically and if it hadn’t gone to the Confederations (Cup) with their starting line-up, I might not be here,” Rueda said at a press conference here on Tuesday, reports Efe.

Pizzi was fired after Chile failed to make the cut for the 2018 World Cup.

Rueda said that it would have been more advisable for Chile to go to the 2017 Confederations Cup with an Under-23 team, as other national sides did, and not with its main players.

“If Chile had gone with another line-up, the players wouldn’t have been worn out and the team would now be going to the World Cup. The exhaustion took its toll,” Rueda said, adding that exhaustion was decisive in the matches against Paraguay and Bolivia, which virtually eliminated Chile from the 2018 World Cup.

Nevertheless, Rueda said that Pizzi was not entirely to blame because the players were the ones who had asked to play in the Confederations Cup, which Chile was close to winning for the first time.

“Pizzi wanted several players to stay home and rest, but they wanted to go and win. That ended it for the team,” the coach said.

Chile finished in second place in the Confederations Cup after losing to Germany 1-0.

Rueda recently toured Europe and Mexico to speak to Chilean soccer players on foreign teams.

The tour’s goal was to personally get to know them before releasing a list of players invited to the friendlies against Sweden and Denmark at the end of March, in which he will make his debut with the national team.

Related Article
Japan looking to maintain Asian presence at 2018 World Cup
Japan looking to maintain Asian presence at 2018 World Cup

Jun 27, 2018, 6:36 PM


Over half of Chinese fans travelling for World Cup are women
Over half of Chinese fans travelling for World Cup are women

Jun 22, 2018, 2:55 PM


Costa Rican President wishes soccer team success vs Brazil
Costa Rican President wishes soccer team success vs Brazil

Jun 22, 2018, 12:46 PM


Ronaldo joins Portugal training camp to prepare for World Cup
Ronaldo joins Portugal training camp to prepare for World Cup

Jun 5, 2018, 11:57 AM


Turf from Uruguay stadium that hosted 1st World Cup bound for Russia
Turf from Uruguay stadium that hosted 1st World Cup bound for Russia

Apr 25, 2018, 4:00 PM


Injury could keep England’s Oxlade-Chamberlain out of World Cup
Injury could keep England’s Oxlade-Chamberlain out of World Cup

Apr 25, 2018, 3:57 PM


Desktop Banner
Mobile Banner