Carlos Quieroz ‘lost the respect’ of the Colombian team after taking away the number ten shirt from Everton star James Rodriguez.
That’s according to journalist Javier Hernández Bonnet, who has revealed the behind the scenes issues that led to his sacking this week.
Quieroz was removed from his job earlier this week after a year and a half and just 18 matches in charge.
Recent defeats to Uruguay and Ecuador, the latter an embarrassing 6-1 loss, proved to be the end for the Portuguese coach as it left their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup in the balance.
His time in charge was littered with problems off the pitch, with it widely reported that he had lost the confidence of the dressing room and in particular star man James Rodriguez.
Marca Colombia cover that today and explain it is ‘no secret’ that Queiroz had ‘lost the respect’ of the national team and beyond the two recent defeats, the reality was that the players didn’t trust his plan.
However, the ‘breaking point’ in the relationship came last year in the friendly games against Peru and Ecuador, where James could not play.
In the second game, Rodriguez was replaced by Brighton’s Steven Alzate, with the youngster also taking his number ten shirt.
That is something the Everton man ‘would not have liked at all’, with Javier Hernández Bonnet revealing all to Blog Deportivo de Blu Radio.
“I am assured that the relationship after giving the number 10 shirt to Alzate, the relationship, at least James’ confidence in the coach was not much. I do not know if they straightened the way,” Marca report him saying.
That event led to a ‘collapse’ between the coach and player during the recent international break, something that happened ‘as soon as there was contact’ between the pair.
It was clear their relationship was ‘much colder’ than what it once was, and thus the end was nigh.
With the group divided, his relationship with Rodriguez broken and a ‘crisis’ with the results, the problems’ accumulated’ and Quieroz ‘lost his way’.
He’s now been sacked, and a replacement will have to be brought in, with it stated that one of his primary ‘obligations’ will be to get Rodriguez back to his best as the Everton star is ‘key’ to getting his team to Qatar.
