Coach Azkargorta, who took Bolivia to the 1994 World Cup, dies aged 72 | OneFootball

Xabier Azkargorta, the coach who led Bolivia to the 1994 World Cup, has died at the age of 72, Conmebol announced this Friday.

“Conmebol mourns the passing of Xabier Azkargorta, a symbol of Bolivian football and the coach who qualified Bolivia for the 1994 World Cup. Our condolences to his family and friends,” wrote the South American football governing body on social media.

Azkargorta, nicknamed “El Bigotón” (‘The Big Moustache’), had a brief playing career in the Basque Country, cut short by early injuries, but it was on the sidelines that he made his mark.

A trained doctor, in Spain he managed Espanyol (1983-86), Real Valladolid (1986-87), Sevilla (1987-89), and Tenerife (1990-91) before becoming the coach of the Bolivian national team (1993-94).

With ‘La Verde’ (as the Bolivian national team is known), he became famous in South America by achieving the first and only qualification through the Qualifiers for a World Cup, the 1994 tournament in the United States. Bolivia had previously participated in the 1930 and 1950 editions but did not have to compete in the qualifying tournament at that time.

“Professor, thank you for everything. You are a great Bolivian. You gave everything for the country,” said Bolivia's new president, Rodrigo Paz, on social media platform X. “May God bless and keep you, from heaven, watching over and protecting our national team and our beloved country,” he added.

After his success with the Bolivian national team, the Basque coach led Chile (1995-1996), Japan (1997-1998), and Mexico (2005).

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Federación Boliviana de Fútbol (@fbf_oficial)

He returned to coach Bolivia (2012-2014) and managed clubs in the country such as Bolívar (2014-2015), Oriente Petrolero (2015-2016), Sports Boys Warnes (2016-2017), and Club Atlético Palmaflor (2020).

According to local media, he passed away in the early hours of Friday, due to a heart problem, in Santa Cruz, in the east of the country. A public funeral will be held in the city, and his body will be taken to a cemetery on Sunday.

Football personalities, authorities, and fans are expected to pay their last respects.

“We share the pain of his family, friends, and loved ones,” commented Bolívar, his former club, which also recalled the two first division titles won under Azkargorta's leadership, between 2014 and 2015.

“We deeply regret the passing of Professor Xabier Azkargorta, former coach of our institution and a symbol of Bolivian football,” declared another former club, Oriente Petrolero.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.