Hierro quits as Spain boss after debacle
MADRID: Spain’s interim coach Fernando Hierro has cut his ties with the Spanish Football Federation following the team’s disastrous exit from the World Cup last week, the organisation said yesterday.
“After many kilometres travelled together, the Spanish Football Federation and Fernando Hierro have called an end to their relationship now that Spain have finished their participation in the World Cup,” said a statement on the Spain team’s website (www.sefutbol.com).
“The last Spain coach has declined to return to his old job as sporting director of the Federation in order to look for new horizons and new professional challenges.”
Hierro was named sporting director for the second time in 2017 but was unexpectedly catapulted into the role of national team coach the day before the World Cup began when Julen Lopetegui was sacked after agreeing to join Real Madrid.
Under the former Real Madrid defender, who previously had just one season’s experience as a coach with Real Oviedo, Spain won one of their four games in Russia, a 1-0 victory over Iran in Group B, and drew 3-3 with Portugal and 2-2 with Morocco.
They finished top of Group B but suffered a shock elimination by hosts Russia in the last 16 last Sunday in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.
OEZIL A ‘SCAPEGOAT’
The father of Mesut Oezil said yesterday his son should quit Germany’s national squad after he was “made the scapegoat” for Die Mannschaft’s shock first-round defeat at the World Cup.
Oezil, 29, has come in for hefty criticism in Germany after the World Champions crashed out in Russia, finishing bottom of their group.
Pressure had already been mounting on the Arsenal midfielder in the World Cup run-up over a controversial photograph with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that was seized on to question his loyalty to Germany.
On Thursday, Germany’s team boss Oliver Bierhoff suggested Oezil, who has Turkish roots, should have been dropped after his failure to publicly clear up the Erdogan meeting.
“This statement is insolent. In my opinion, it is aimed at saving one’s own skin,” said the midfielder’s father Mustafa Oezil in an interview with Bild am Sonntag.
Bierhoff later backtracked, apologising that he “was wrong”.
Calling the treatment accorded to his son “so unfair”, Oezil senior said “he needs to decide for himself. But if I were in his place, I’d say — thanks a lot but that’s it!”
“The hurt has grown too strong. And who knows what’ll happen at the next match. In Mesut’s place, I would step down. But that’s just my very personal opinion,” he said.