De Los Cobos leaving El Salvador

Posted Tuesday, December 15, 2009 by AP

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP)—Carlos de Los Cobos says he will not return as coach of El Salvador’s national team.

De Los Cobos told a news conference on Monday that he would be leaving when his contract expires at the end of the year. The Mexico-born De Los Cobos took over the Salvador national team three years ago, but failed to get it to next year’s World Cup in South Africa.

El Salvador finished fifth in the North and Central America and Caribbean qualifying group. The top three teams—the United States, Mexico and Honduras— advanced automatically to the World Cup.

“I’ve made the decision not to renew,” he told reporters. “I believe my stay with the team has ended. When the drive no longer exists for a certain project, I think the honest thing is to step aside.”

De Los Cobos said he was not moving to another job, although he said he’d been approached. He did not offer more details.

The tiny Central American country of 7 million qualified for the 1970 and 1982 World Cups in Mexico, but has failed in its last seven attempts to reach the world’s most important football tournament.