Venezuela will have Leonardo González as interim coach for its September meetings for the South American World Cup in Qatar-2022 against Argentina, Peru and Paraguay, after the Portuguese José Peseiro resigned due to lack of payments, the local Federation announced on Monday.
“It has been decided to appoint Mr. Leonardo González Antequera, a coach with proven experience in national football and a past as a Vintotinto player, as interim National Coach,” the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF) reported in a statement.
Thus, continued the FVF, González “will temporarily assume the commitment to lead our national team” in the matches against the local Albiceleste on September 2, and against Peru on September 5 and Paraguay on 9 away.
His work will begin “as soon as possible” for the game against Argentina, according to the Federation.
Former la vinotinto player, 49 years old, González jumps to lead the national team after being coach of Deportivo La Guaira (2014-2016) and Deportivo Lara in two stages (2017-2020 and 2021).
Under his leadership, La Guaira won the Venezuela Cup twice (2014 and 2015) and was runner-up in the 2015 Adequacy Tournament.
Leading Lara he won the Clausura Tournament in 2017 and 2018, remaining runner-up in the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 seasons.
Prior to that, he was Pedro Vera’s technical assistant in Trujillanos, who won the Venezuela Cup (2010) and the 2014 Apertura.
The decision was made after the Portuguese Peseiro reported on Friday on his social networks that he was terminating his contract after more than a year of back pay, a situation that the 61-year-old coach called “unsustainable.”
Peseiro took the place of Rafael Dudamel in February 2020, who resigned after problems with the FVF leadership. Shortly after, the covid-19 pandemic broke out, forcing a lockdown and preventing him from playing friendly matches.
At the head of the vinotino he added a victory, six defeats and three draws.
However, the FVF continues to search for a DT. “We are working hard to announce who will be the overall national coach with an international profile (…) once the contractual agreement is reached,” the document said.
Jorge Giménez, president of the FVF, said last week at a press conference that he was looking for a technician of “international hierarchy.”
Venezuela is the only Conmebol team that has never qualified for a World Cup. And facing Qatar-2022, they are ninth out of 10 teams in qualifying, with one win, one draw and four losses. (AFP)