The Colombia National Team closed the year 2021 fourth in the standings of the South American Qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Criticism has rained against the players and coach Reinaldo Rueda, as there were neither goals nor triumphs in the last five qualifying games .
Added to the lack of results and annotations are the manners, deficiencies, criticism of the lack of leadership, the timing of those called up and more buts that specialized criticism has given to the National Team.
However, there would be a third culprit at the time of Colombia and it has gone unnoticed, without accepting its sins, which has influenced with its decisions the sway of the National Team in these qualifiers: the Colombian Football Federation.
The problems in Colombia did not start this year, with the goal crisis. Nor did they occur in 2020, after the 6-1 win with Ecuador in Quito. The root of the situation of the National Team started in 2018, after the World Cup in Russia.
José Pékerman’s departure occurred in September 2018, and the Federation Committee, headed by its president Ramón Jesurún, did not immediately define a project leader: it appointed Arturo Reyes, who led four friendly matches, as interim.
One of the games that Colombia had with the coach in charge was against Argentina, which was decided by Lionel Scaloni as coach; criticized and everything, the AFA supported a process that three years later is giving excellent results, thanks to the fact that it maintained the same line and did not succumb to criticism or possible setbacks that could occur.
For 2019 Carlos Queiroz was appointed, a prestigious coach, respected in Europe and Asia (he qualified with Iran for two World Cups), and who was also used in public events almost like a trophy: the leadership wanted to see that there were no more closed doors as there were with Pékerman; even conversations with the press were designed to give another face.
In football, the process seemed to be consolidating: ten friendlies, against seven American rivals, two Asians and one African; and a Copa América with elimination in the quarterfinals; they were Queiroz’s letter of introduction to start the South American Qualifiers in 2020.
However, this process was broken with a result ‘takes out technicians’, as is popularly said in Colombia. The National Team beat Venezuela in Barranquilla and tied with Chile, in Santiago; but in the following dates he lost to Uruguay, at home, and was beaten 6-1 in Quito, against Ecuador.
Two defeats, including a thrashing, were devastating for the leadership, who decided to remove Queiroz, with four games played and practically an entire Eliminatory to be played. The support, the photos in events of the sponsors and the communion ended: the FCF cut for ‘the healthiest’.
From the first moment the target was Reinaldo Rueda, who was named 44 days after Queiroz’s departure. ‘RRR’ had ten games to take Colombia from seventh place in the Qualifying table (-5 in their difference), to a disputed fourth place, with -1 and a record of 8 draws (7 with Rueda).
The leadership remains silent despite criticism. He seems to support the process and that’s for the best, as there are only four rounds left until the end of the Playoffs. Unfortunately, some members of the Federation have been more news for non-football issues than for their management … they are also to blame for the badness of the National Team, as well as they must be part of the satisfactions that the Tricolor can generate.
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