National team coaches from CONCACAF and violence don’t exactly go together like spaghetti and meatballs, but the disconnect is closing, quickly.
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Barely two weeks after the firing of now-former Mexican national team coach Miguel Herrera for punching a journalist in the Philadelphia airport a day after his side lifted the 2015 Gold Cup trophy, another national team boss finds himself out of a job after his own violent outburst.
Costa Rican soccer legend Paulo Wanchope (45 goals in 73 national team appearances), who enjoyed fruitful stints at English clubs Derby County, West Ham United and Manchester City before moving into coaching (he took over as Costa Rican national team boss following the 2014 World Cup), resigned from his post on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after he was involved in a brief scuffle with a fan or member of security (below video) during a Costa Rican U-23 national team game — an incident which was caught on video and quickly spread across the Internet.
In a statement released Wednesday, Costa Rica’s soccer federation said simply that Wanchope, 39, decided to “step aside” in light of his actions.
