FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Copa America 2024 - Quarter Final - Argentina v Ecuador - NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, United States - July 4, 2024 Ecuador coach Felix Sanchez Bas reacts REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
(Reuters) - Ecuador have sacked head coach Felix Sanchez in the wake of Thursday's Copa America quarter-final defeat by Argentina, the country's football federation (FEF) said.
Ecuador reached the last eight for the third time in the last four editions but were knocked out by the defending champions in a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1.
The Spaniard, who guided Qatar to their maiden Asian Cup title in 2019, had signed a four-year contract in March last year.
"We thank Felix and his coaching staff for their work and professionalism, and wish him success in his future endeavours," the FEF said.
The 48-year-old coach said after the game that although they had exited the Copa America he was looking forward to September's World Cup qualifiers where Ecuador are fifth in the standings, adding that he did not want to address his future.
"We managed to advance from the group stage to the knockouts. I have congratulated the players even if we weren't able to progress," he told reporters.
"I think they deserve the credit, that is my opinion, but I think that in the next edition of this tournament, we'll get here with a more experienced team.
"These are very young players. Maybe the results were unfair, but I know that we have to believe in this group of players."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
