Pua promoted to be new Uruguay coach

Uruguay are to use a coaching partnership to replace Daniel Passarella.

The Uruguay FA have approached Victor Pua to be the senior coach and Esteben Gesto to work underneath him.

The South American country needed a replacement quickly for the Argentine World Cup winner as they face qualifying matches for 2002 in March. They are fifth in the CONMEBOL table and play fourth placed Paraguay at the end of next month with four teams going through to Japan and South Korea for the final next year.

Pua has been a popular coach of the under-21 team for the Uruguayans while Gesto is a noted tactician and fitness expert who has been working in Miami with the MLS recently.

Both coaches are to finalise their contracts by next week and then start work with the squad who have been taken on tour to Europe. The refusal of Montevideo to release Pablo Sanchez prompted Passarella's resignation yesterday but he is now due to join the squad in Europe tomorrow. Nacional held Sanchez back to play in a Copa Libertadores tie which infuriated Passarella who is now linked with the Internazionale job he turned down last October.