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Ecuador football: coach hunt widens with new candidates

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-30 23:04 UTC → 2026-08-01 21:33 UTC · added removed

Following Ecuador’s senior squad fell 2‑0 defeat to Mexico in the 2026 World Cup round of 16, prompting the federation (FEF) to confirm head coach Sebastián Beccacec’s exit Beccacec left on 30 June. The league resumed on 3 July, with Independiente del Valle leading the revival while clubs fine‑tuned tactics. Players dispersed for pre‑season work: Willian Pacho returned to PSG, Gonzalo Plata arranged a friendly with River Plate before rejoining Flamengo, and captain Moisés Caícedo and Piero Hincapié trained with Chelsea ahead of a friendly in Australia. FEF president Francisco Egas reiterated that there was no evidence of threats against the team, dismissed rumors as unsubstantiated and filed a formal complaint with FIFA. He stressed that the tournament “was not a failure for Ecuador,” highlighted progress since 2019, and pledged to change a lingering “tequila‑culture” within the squad. The coach search narrowed to Federación Ecuatoriana de Fútbol (FEF) launched a shortlist that included search, initially short‑listing Miguel Ángel Ramírez, Eduardo Domínguez, assistants Robert Moreno and Paulo Bento, and names such as veteran coaches Mauricio Pellegrino and Marcelo Gallardo. By late July the federation noted the recent departure of Gustavo Alfaro, with former Liga de Quito Alfaro and Barcelona SC manager highlighted Luis Zubeldía emerging as a leading candidate and prospect, while the core player group of players—Caícedo, Pacho, Hincapié, Plata and Ordóñez—still remained intact. A wave of young talents (e.g., Josué Caicedo, Deinner Ordóñez, Adrián Cuadrado) was highlighted for the 2030 World Cup cycle. On 29 July the FEF reached out to contacted Spanish coach Roberto Martínez, now unattached after Portugal, to replace Beccacec. The federation aims indicating an intention to finalize the his appointment by August‑September 2026, with Martínez expected 2026 and have him in mid‑August to prepare place for September friendlies. Two days later, Argentine manager Ramón Díaz, former River Plate and Internacional coach, offered his services and entered the shortlist alongside Martínez, Moreno, Gallardo and Ramírez. The federation continues to evaluate candidates as it prepares for the post‑World Cup cycle and the 2030 World Cup build‑up.

Versions

  1. 2026-08-01 21:33 UTC Ecuador football: coach hunt widens with new candidates
  2. 2026-07-30 23:04 UTC Ecuador football: coach hunt widens with new candidates

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