Fernando Batista, new coach of Venezuela. (AFP)
The Argentine Fernando Batista declared this Thursday “excited” to succeed José Pekerman as coach of the Venezuelan soccer team, with the aim of competing for the World Cup qualification of the only country in South America that has never played it.
“Successor is a difficult word. José, all the boys who have passed through his hands, always had him as a reference, ”he said ‘Bowl’ Batista at a press conference in Caracas, after his debut in friendlies against Saudi Arabia2-1 win, and uzbekistandraw 1-1.
“I am very excited and very happy,” he added. Cambric52 years old, named Vinotinto coach on March 10 after having been Pekerman’s assistant.
PekermanThe 73-year-old had assumed command of Venezuela in November 2021 with the promise of leading a restructuring of Venezuelan soccer.
The press in Argentina published that breaches by the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF) caused the break, but reports in Venezuela point out that the break due to “irregularities” in the management of Pascual Lezcano -agent of the veteran coach- as team manager nationals.
The FVF released a statement on Tuesday that sought to close the controversy, by assuring that the relationship between the two parties concluded “in a friendly manner”, resolving “any previous difference”.
“The reasons (for Pekerman’s departure) remain between us,” Batista said. “When they give me the opportunity, Jorge Giménez, the president (of the FVF), to continue with the project, because ultimately it is a continuation of a project, logically I communicated it to José (…), we talked about it and that’s it , without any problem”.
The South American qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico, this time will distribute six direct places and one for the playoffs due to the increase from 32 to 48 in the number of teams that will be at the event.
“He excites as he should excite all the teams. Maybe there in the case of Venezuela, not having had the possibility of going to a World Cup, it can excite a little more”, Batista expressed about the aspirations of being in the World Cup.
“It is not easy (…), but I am a very positive person, I am a person who goes after dreams, and one of my dreams today, the biggest, is that,” he concluded.
