Gallardo reaches agreement to become Ecuador head coach | OneFootball

Marcelo Gallardo has an agreement to become Ecuador head coach, pending contract signature and an official announcement from the Ecuadorian Football Federation, FEF.

According to SuperDepor.com, the Argentine accepted the role after several weeks of talks, having been out of work since leaving River in February. Discussions were led by FEF president Francisco Egas and covered the sporting plan and financial terms.

An understanding was reached on a salary above three million dollars per year, with some in Ecuador putting the figure at around three and a half million per season.

Recent talks also addressed the backroom staff, Gallardo’s place of residence and how he would split work periods between Ecuador and Argentina. Quito has emerged as the leading option for his base as much of the national-team structure operates there.

He will succeed Sebastián Beccacece, whose tenure ended after the 2026 World Cup. Ecuador were knocked out by Mexico 2-0 in the round of 32.

This would be Gallardo’s first national-team post after spells with Nacional, River and Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia. His most successful stint came at River, winning the 2014 Copa Sudamericana and the 2015 and 2018 Copa Libertadores.

The FEF sought an experienced coach to lead towards the 2028 Copa América and 2030 World Cup qualifying, with Gallardo preferred over other candidates. Ecuador’s first post-World Cup match is on 24 September against South Korea at Suwon World Cup Stadium, which could be his debut if the deal is finalised in the coming days.

Source: SuperDepor.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”