No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeJorge Luis PintoLa Sele lost games to get Pinto fired, ex-manager says, while Navas...

La Sele lost games to get Pinto fired, ex-manager says, while Navas denies allegation

Jorge Luis Pinto said that the former Costa Rican soccer chief warned him in 2014 that men’s national team players, such as goalkeeper Keylor Navas, threatened to lose matches so that the manager would be fired.

“The only communication that the president (of the federation) made to me is that if I continued with the national team, the players would lose three games to get me out,” said the Colombian national coach, during a trial in San José, according to La Nación.

Pinto testified through a video conference before a court, as part of a defamation proceeding brought by Navas, Bryan Ruiz and Celso Borges against two leaders, for having said they plotted to fire Pinto.

Pinto confirms, Keylor denies

“Three or four were mentioned. They were Keylor, Bryan, Celso, they told me that (Álvaro) Saborío was there but he didn’t say a word and (Christian) Bolaños, who didn’t come,” Pinto added.

Pinto thus ratified the statements made on Monday by the former president of Costa Rican soccer, Eduardo Li.

“I remember that it was Keylor Navas who told me: we lose 3 games, there is a clause like this and like that,” Li commented at the trial, according to local media.

So, Li said, he chose not to renew Pinto’s contract.

According to Li, a clause stipulated that if the team lost three consecutive games, the leadership was in a position to terminate the contract with Pinto.

The former leader was involved in a corruption scandal that affected FIFA, and in 2017 he was disqualified for life from holding positions in the institution.

The defendants accused by Navas in the defamation suit are the leaders Adrián Gutiérrez and Juan Carlos Román.

The events would have occurred after the return of La Sele to San José, after finishing eighth in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, in a tournament where Navas was a figure and catapulted his international career.

But it was not until 2018 that Gutiérrez, the former director of national teams, commented in an interview on the alleged intentions of the players.

Pinto said that the differences within the team were only “trifles” and that “everyone adapted to the demands of the job.”

The trial began last Friday, with the declaration of Navas via telecoferencia, who denied the accusation.

Losing games “is something that has not left our mouths and will never happen, because we have been professional footballers for many years, where we have earned an honor and prestige,” Navas explained, according to Diario Extra.

Navas was decisive last week in PSG’s move to the quarterfinals of the Champions League by saving a penalty against Argentine star of Barcelona, ​​Lionel Messi.

Trending Now

What Camera Traps Miss Chasing Jaguars in Costa Rica

Five years ago, I began my journey using camera traps in wildlife monitoring projects in Costa Rica. A few years after that I began...

Trump Says He Will End US Aid to Colombia as Tensions Spike

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday accused his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, of tolerating drug production and announced he would end “large-scale payments...

Belize Signs Safe Third Country Deal with US for Asylum Seekers

Belize and the United States have sealed a deal that positions Belize as a temporary host for migrants pursuing asylum in the U.S., according...

Costa Rica Faces Calls to Strengthen Shark Protection Enforcement

Costa Rica faces growing pressure from environmental experts and lawyers to tighten enforcement of laws protecting endangered sharks. Recent court rulings have highlighted gaps...

Costa Rica Monitors Caribbean Tropical Wave with 70% Storm Chance

Those who live along the Caribbean coast know all too well how quickly weather can turn in October. Right now, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional...

Costa Rica Targets June 2026 for New High-Security Prison

Costa Rica faces a sharp increase in homicides tied to drug trafficking, putting heavy strain on its prisons. In response, the government has moved...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica