Panama Federation rescinds contract to Argentine “Tolo” Gallego as coach of soccer team

PANAMA CITY, Apr 14 (Reuters) – The Panamanian Football Federation (FEPAFUT) announced on Tuesday that it will terminate the contract of Argentina’s Américo “Tolo” Gallego as the team’s technical director, due to a restructuring that will also affect the coaches of all national representatives in the midst of the coronavirus crisis affecting the Central American country.

In Panama, soccer has been detained since the country entered a process of curfew and quarantine due to the coronavirus that has already left 3,574 infected and 95 deceased.

“The negative impact that this situation is having on the economic aspect in all of society is great and FEPAFUT cannot escape this reality. That is why the Executive Committee has approved the termination of all contracts of the technical bodies of its national teams, “the agency reported in a statement.

“The conditions for the termination of the contract are being negotiated with Mr. Américo Rubén Gallego and his coaching staff,” he added.

Gallego, 69, arrived at the bank of the Panamanian team in August 2019 with the mission of qualifying for his second consecutive World Cup after his first appointment in the 2018 World Cup played in Russia.

The FEPAFUT clarified that in the case of the men’s, women’s and futsal youth teams, the termination clause of the contracts of the respective coaches and their technical bodies will be used.

“FEPAFUT thanks each one of the coaches and members of the technical bodies for their dedication, professionalism and dedication with which they have worked during their respective periods and wishes them the best in the face of this difficult situation that strikes our country and the world” , detailed the agency.

The Federation added that a technical and development commission will be in charge of the selection process for the technical bodies of all the teams.

“FEPAFUT thus enters a restructuring process around its teams,” he said.

(Report by Elida Moreno. Written by Carlos Calvo Pacheco.)