Merlo quits

After title-winning season, Racing Club coach quits

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Reinaldo Merlo, the coach who guided Buenos Aires side Racing Club to its first league title in 35 years last year, quit Wednesday, just two days before the start of the new soccer season.

After a meeting with club owner Fernando Marin, Merlo told a local radio stadion he was stepping down, citing as his reason the club's failure to bring in new players during the offseason.

"I have just left Racing because we weren't in agreement about where the club was heading," he told Radio Rivadavia, referring to himself and Marin. "We have lived great things at Racing and tomorrow I'm going to say goodbye to the players. To those players who won the championship, I owe them a great deal of thanks."

The former Argentina international took over at the club 18 months ago and turned himself into an immediate hero, leading the side to its first league title in 35 years, last December.

In recent days however, Merlo had told local media he believed his side needed five players before the start of the new season if it was to have a realistic chance of repeating last year's title.

Facing the same financial problems affecting most Argentina clubs at present, Racing sold several key players in the off season and the replacements brought in were reportedly not those that Merlo had requested.

Racing meets Huracan in its opening league game Sunday. It is not yet known who will take charge of the side for that game.

 

Related information

Stories

Argentina set to ask Bielsa to stay on as coach

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video