Gandolfi sacked by Atlético Nacional after shocking blunder: "No excuses" | OneFootball

The Argentine coach broke the rules and exposed the Verdolaga to a lawsuit.

ATLÉTICO NACIONAL decided to fire Javier Gandolfi amid the scandal surrounding the club for the excessive inclusion of foreign players against Atlético Bucaramanga in Saturday’s match, valid for matchday 11 of the Colombian league.

The Argentine coach brought on Ecuadorian Billy Arce with two minutes left in the game, without realizing that Camilo Candido -Uruguay-, Juan Bauza -Argentina-, and Facundo Batista -Uruguay- were already on the field, which constitutes a violation of the regulations. The rules state that four foreigners can be on the team sheet, but only three can be on the field at the same time.

Despite having won the match 1-0, Leonel Álvarez, coach of Atlético Bucaramanga, announced that he will file a formal complaint about what happened, which could result in a 3-0 win and an improved goal difference, crucial in the tight race for qualification to the tournament’s quadrangular stage.

“The answer is very short. When I decided to make the substitution, at no time did I realize we already had three on the field and obviously there are no excuses. There’s not much more to add.”, Gandolfi said in the post-match press conference.

After the uproar, the Verdolaga institution dismissed the coach, who was already under scrutiny for poor results and early eliminations in international competitions.

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