Copa America
Former Colombia captain Cordoba vows never to play for Pinto
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
BOGOTA, Colombia: Former Colombia captain Ivan Ramiro Cordoba says he will never return to play for the national team so long as Jorge Luis Pinto remains its coach.
"Following the Copa America I told coach Pinto that as long as he was head coach I would not accept playing for him and my position has not changed," Cordoba wrote in a public letter on Monday to Luis Bedoya, president of Colombia's soccer federation.
Cordoba, the Inter Milan defender, was one of several European-based veterans left off Pinto's 23-man roster for Colombia's opening qualifier for the 2010 World Cup at home against Brazil on Sunday.
Colombia was eliminated from the South American championship in Venezuela this summer in the first round, following 5-0 and 4-2 blowouts from Paraguay and Argentina respectively.
The disappointing early exit threw Colombia into chaos, with Cordoba and other veterans — including Paris Saint-Germain's Mario Yepes and goalkeeper Miguel Calero — rebelling against the fledgling coach and then being benched in the Cafeteros' final group match against the United States.
Only nine players from the Copa America survived Pinto's housecleaning to be named to the squad facing Brazil and Bolivia next Wednesday in La Paz
.
