Official: Rafael Dudamel does not continue as coach of Deportivo Cali days before the rematch against Melgar

Deportivo Cali announced this Friday that the Venezuelan Rafael Dudamel will not continue as coach of the first team, a decision made by the directors “by mutual agreement” because the results did not accompany the strategist in the Copa Libertadores, the Copa Sudamericana and the BetPlay League.

The departure of the former coach of the Vinotinto was achieved “mutual agreement” Therefore, as of that date, “his employment contract is terminated,” the team reported in a statement released through the social media of the ‘Azucareros’.

Dudamel, together with his technical assistant, Marcos Matías, and physical trainer Josep Cañas, said goodbye this Friday to the professional team players with whom he spent 10 months, during which time he won a league title.

The most recent setback was in the Copa Sudamericana, a tournament in which he equaled 0-0 at home with Melgar from Peru, a team led by Argentine Néstor Lorenzo, who will soon take over as Colombia’s national team coach.

According to the statistics, Dudamel directed 54 games with a balance of 18 wins, 18 draws and 18 losses.

At the moment the candidates to occupy Dudamel’s position are the Colombians Mayer Candelo, Harold Rivera and Pedro Sarmiento.

Dudamel was announced by Deportivo Cali as coach in September last year to replace Uruguayan Alfredo Arias, who left the post due to poor results.

The ‘Azucarera’ fans have fond memories of Dudamel as he stopped there between 1998 and 2001, during which time he was Colombian soccer champion in 1998 and runner-up in the 1999 Copa Libertadores, in which the green and white team lost on penalties to Palm trees.

Before coming to Cali as a coach, Dudamel was on the technical bench at the University of Chile and Atlético Mineiro, as well as on the different Venezuelan national teams. As a soccer player, in addition to his successful time at Deportivo Cali, he cut shorts at Millonarios, América de Cali, Quilmes, Maracaibo and Deportivo Táchira, among others.