Venezuela sacked coach Fernando Batista on Wednesday night, a day after their World Cup qualification dream died and after an intervention by the country’s president.
News of Argentine Batista’s sacking, alongside his entire backroom staff, came after President Nicolas Maduro had called for a “restructuring of the technical staff”.
That was 24 hours after Venezuela, known as the Vinotinto, were thumped 6-3 at home by neighbours Colombia, ending their hopes of reaching a World Cup for the first time.
The decision by the sport’s world governing body FIFA to expand the 2026 World Cup in North America from 32 to 48 teams had boosted the hopes of teams like Venezuela — the only side in the CONMEBOL federation never to qualify for a finals — to make it to the global extravaganza.
