New Guatemala head coach Walter Claveri speaks to the media at his introductory press conference on January 18, 2016, in Guatemala City. (Photo: Luis Rolando Solares)
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – Walter Claveri was presented as the new head coach of Guatemala at a press conference on Monday.
The 58-year-old leaves a similar position with Suchitepequez and replaces Ivan Sopegno, who resigned in December after the Chapines opened the fourth round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a 1W-0D-1L record in Group C play.
"With well-defined principles, we hope to lay the foundations for our football to succeed," said Claveri. "Guatemala is changing and we hope that we can all contribute to its improvement.”
As a player, Claveri was a member of Suchitepequez, when it captured its only Guatemalan league title in 1983 and he won the bronze medal with Guatemala at the 1983 Pan American Games.
Guatemala resumes World Cup qualifying with games against the first-place United States (1W-1D-0L, 4 points) at March 25 (home) and March 29 (away).
"This team is already formed,” Claveri commented. “Ivan (Sopegno) formed a basis. We seek to add one other player. The team has several players from Municipal and Comunicaciones."
Claveri will be assisted by former Guatemala internationals Juan Carlos Plata, David Gardiner and Rogelio Flores.
