The Colombian Women’s National Team was left without a coach. Nelson Abadía, the coach who led her to the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, in the best historical performance of the team, left office.
Álvaro González Alzate, vice president of the Colombian Football Federation, confirmed Abadía’s departure to EL TIEMPO, after nine years of working with the team, first as a technical assistant and then as team leader.
“Despite the fact that his contract was in force, it was decided to terminate it as of September 1, 2023,” González confirmed to this medium.
Abadía, 67, assumed the technical direction of the National Team in September 2017. At that time, the Federation had appointed Pedro Rodríguez, but a day later he changed his decision.
With Abadía on the bench, Colombia was eliminated from the 2019 World Cup in France. Despite this, the Federation ratified him in office and began a new process, which led the team to the gold medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.
Why Nelson Abadía is leaving the Colombian Women’s National Team
González Alzate told EL TIEMPO the reasons for Abadía’s departure. “He has received interesting proposals from other countries, including sports clubs,” he said.
However, the manager added that there is also wear and tear between the coach and the group of players. “Apparently, his internal relations with some sector of the group were beginning to deteriorate,” he explained.
Abadía carried out a process of “renewal” of the Colombian Women’s National Team, in which several of the team’s leaders were left out, such as Yoreli Rincón, Natalia Gaitán, Isabella Echeverri and Vanessa Córdoba.
All of them, at the time, made claims about the management of the Colombian National Team and women’s soccer in general, for which Abadía was accused of a veto. However, DT always denied it and cited football reasons.
One of the striking events during the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was the abrupt departure of the team’s captain, Daniela Montoya, who did not appear in the team’s last two games.
González Alzate said he did not know which players Abadía had differences with. “And it’s better not to know, so that in the future they don’t start talking about vetoes, as always happens,” he concluded.
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