The Argentine Gustavo Costas signed this Friday the contract as coach of Bolivia that will be effective from next November, with the aim of forming a «competitive» team, with a «winning» mentality and thus fulfill the illusion of qualifying for the next Copa del World.
The Argentine coach was unanimously elected by the FBF and the goal is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. @FBF_BO
The new helmsman, still linked to the Chilean Palestino, was presented by the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) in a formal act in La Paz.
The event was attended by the president of the FBF, Fernando Costa, the sports manager, the Spaniard Xabier Azkargota, the coach of the minor divisions, the Paraguayan-Bolivian Pablo Escobar, as well as representatives of local soccer and national authorities.
A WINNING MINDSET
«Let’s change the mentality. If we don’t consider ourselves to be less than anyone, that we can play as equals everywhere, the goal is the illusion of being able to be in the World Cup», Costas said in his presentation as helmsman of the Green.
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The 59-year-old Argentine assumes command of a national team for the first time in his career, after directing several teams on the continent such as Peruvian Alianza Lima, Paraguayan Cerro Porteño, Ecuadorian Barcelona or Santa Fe in Colombia, winning titles in all of them.
Costas assured that directing Bolivia is the «greatest» challenge of his career and considered that it will be essential to «have our feet on the ground» and at the same time «be more positive than ever» to achieve the goals based on «professionalism and attitude».
The strategist considered it essential to «form the group» of players and find a way to generate union and then implement their style of play belonging to an «intense» team that knows how to have the ball, defend, attack and also «knows how to suffer the games» when I touched.
A DIFFICULT SELECTION
In his turn, the president of the FBF, considered that the decision to hire Costas was through an «arduous and rigorous process» after making an «open and transparent» call, to which several coaches appeared.
«It was not an easy decision,» he remarked.
The main leader of Bolivian soccer considered that the election of the new coach «will benefit» Bolivia when considering the achievements of the new coach in the clubs in which he has worked.
Costa highlighted the attitude of the now new helmsman of La Verde «for adjusting to the economic conditions» that exist in Bolivia and echoed the strategist’s request to achieve unity among all the actors of Bolivian soccer to achieve the maximum objective.
At the presentation event, the contractual link between Costas and the FBF was explained, which is for four years and has the possibility of renewal in case the Green gets a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
Among the aspects that were highlighted is the adequacy of the contract to FIFA regulations and also establishes that Costas will settle in Bolivia during the period that he will be in charge of the senior team.
Costas will assume full command of the Green next November, the month in which the first training microcycle is scheduled.