Boca Juniors part ways with coach

Buenos Aires, Dec 15: Boca Juniors president Daniel Angelici said that the club will not renew the contract of coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto, putting an end to his three-year tenure with the Buenos Aires side.

In the first press conference since Boca's defeat by River Plate in the final of the Copa Libertadores, Angelici and Barros Schelotto at times appeared to be on the verge of tears, reports Efe.

"The best thing for Boca is to start the year with a new coaching staff. This is not a goodbye but rather a so long to the kind of idol that Guillermo was both as a player and as coach," the club president said on Friday.

Barros Schelotto spent most of his 16-year playing career with Boca, winning 17 titles and scoring 86 goals. As manager, he led the side to two Argentine championships.

Turning to last Sunday's loss to Boca's cross-town nemesis, Angelici said: "And one team wins the final and I regret that against the classic rival, we could not bring the cup to the club."

"I want to thank the executives, the Boca employees, the players and – fundamentally – the fans for how they have treated me these three years," Barros Schelotto said.

"Beyond the pain and not having won the Copa Libertadores, I'm leaving with the peace of mind of having given everything. The decision we have made is the best thing for Boca," he said.