Email
Print
Digg This
BUENOS AIRES, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Former Argentina captain Diego Simeone quit as coach of River Plate on Friday, one day after their dismal domestic form was compounded by elimination from the Copa Sudamericana.
"He has told us that, as from Sunday, he will no longer be coach," River Plate director Rodolfo Cuina told the cable news channel TN from Mexico, where River were knocked out by Guadalajara on Thursday.
Simeone, who won 106 caps, played at three World Cups and was famously involved in the sending-off of David Beckham at the France '98 finals, has seen his team drop to the bottom of the championship after a run of 11 domestic games without a win.
On Thursday, they squandered a 2-0 lead at Guadalajara and were held 2-2, going out of the Sudamericana 4-3 on aggregate. The competition is the region's equivalent of Europe's UEFA Cup.
The former Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Inter Milan and Lazio midfielder, with his hand in a cast after punching the team bench in anger after a 1-1 draw with Newell's Old Boys two weeks ago, was sent off for persistent dissent in the 84th minute.
Once described as playing with a knife between his teeth, Simeone's resignation has interrupted a winning start to his coaching career, which began at Racing Club in 2006.
After a short spell with Racing, he joined Estudiantes and memorably led the side that won the Apertura championship the same year, ending a 23-year wait for a domestic trophy.
He moved to River last December and within six months had won the 2007/08 Clausura championship, ending a four-year wait for a trophy.
However, with almost the same players, River have fallen apart this season and Simeone, dressed in his distinctive all-black outfit, has looked increasing exasperated on the touchline.
He was considered as a potential replacement when Argentina coach Alfio Basile quit in October but River's poor form and the surprise emergence of Diego Maradona scuttled his chances.
