Luis Fernando Suárez is no longer manager of Medellín based football
club Atlético Nacional. The board of directors accepted the coach’s
resignation this Wednesday.
Nacional president Víctor Hugo Marulanda confirmed the decision. “I just came from the team meeting and talked directly with Luis Fernando Suárez, Leonardo Carrabs (goalkeeper trainer) and Carlos Gutiérrez (physical trainer) to make their departure official,” he said in a conversation with Caracol Radio.
The 59 year old Suárez managed the Ecuador national team from 2004 to 2007 and led the side to the 2006 World Cup. After a year off, the manager tried his luck at Atlético Nacional but never managed to recreate the success achieved with Ecuador.
With 12 of 18 matches played in this year’s Copa Mustang I, Nacional are stuck in last place with only seven points. If the team perform just as bad in the Copa Mustang II, which is to be played later this year, they even risk relegation to the Primera B division.
While Nacional look for a suitable replacement, the team will be led by caretaker manager José Fernando Santa, a former defender who featured at the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1998 World Cup.
More high profile teams are currently in trouble in the Copa Mustang. Indepentiende Medellín are likely to miss out on the final phase as well while América de Cali only recently began to perform better. Bogotá sides Santa Fe and Millonarios are both in a state of crisis.