COSTA RICA SPORTS – “Ni me fu, ni me fa” were the words of Hernan Medford, the Costa Rican head of coach of the Honduran national team on the news of being replaced by none other than his old rival, Colombian coach Jorge Luis Pinto.
Pinto, if you will recall, took Costa Rica’s national team, La Selección, to new heights in the World Cup 2014 in Brazil.
Medford was one fo the fierce critic of Pinto after the World Cup games, depicting Pinto as petty and vengeful. “For me, Jorge Luis Pinto does not exist; that man has no ethics,” Medford told La Nacion, commenting on being replaced by the very coach he had strongly criticized.
Following the Brazil games, Pinto was let go by Costa Rica’s sports association.
The coaching job of La Sele is now in the hands of a group of interim coaches led by Paulo Wanchope, also a critic of Pinto and former player like Medford.
Since the firing, La Selección is the strongest in the region in a series of wins.
In Honduras, Pinto says he has “big” challenge ahead of him.
If all goes well, Pinto will be signing a deal with the Federación de Fútbol de Honduras next week.
The Honduran press highlighted the announcement of Pinto’s arrival to the national team’s bench.
But not all on the Costa Rican team has bad feelings for Pinto. Forward Alvaro Saborio said “it’s positive for Honduras because he (Pinto) is a really good coach (…).”
It unlikely that Costa Rica will be trembling in fear that Honduras, under Pinto may reach the same heights in Russia in 2018 and replace Costa Rica as the stars of soccer in the region.
