Argentine Olympic Committee (COA) President Gerardo Werthein said that Argentina only has "a 50 percent chance" of being able to field a team at next month's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to Dermot Corrigan of ESPN. Coach Gerardo Martino resigned on Tuesday. While the other teams competing in the 2016 Olympic football tournament "have already named their full squads, Argentina have only called up nine players so far, with the competition due to get underway on Aug. 4." Werthein: "We have tried to step into the situation and started to talk to some presidents of clubs. They are the ones who know how important football is for the Argentine people and that today you cannot put together a squad to go Rio is an embarrassment" (ESPN, 7/6). CLARÍN reported Julio Olarticoechea will coach the team during the Olympics. He is currently leading the country's U20 team. Martino's resignation "changed the plans and now U20 assistant coach Pablo Calderón will take over during its next tournament in Spain" (CLARÍN, 7/6). ESPN reported in a separate piece former Argentine FA President Luis Segura said that there are currently no candidates to replace Martino. He added that Olarticoechea "would not be assisted by Diego Maradona." Segura: "There are no candidates to coach the national team. Maradona will not be Olarticoechea's assistant." Humberto Grondona, a former U17 and U20 coach, said that Martino "was right to resign." He said, "No one can work under these conditions and Martino was right to quit. We all saw this coming -- not only because the local clubs refused to release the players but also because of a whole lot of other factors that are not normal and can't be normal because we do not have a [federation] president." He also "urged the clubs and fans to support Olarticoechea." Grondona: "We must help him because he is doing this alone" (ESPN, 7/6). In Madrid, Daniel Panero reported Uruguay "is hoping to take advantage of the difficulties the AFA is facing." Uruguayan Olympic Committee President Julio César Maglione "is hoping to take the CONMEBOL slot that could be left" if Argentina does not participate. He said, "The Uruguayan FA would have to resolve it, it has the execs to do it. We will collaborate and help with whatever is needed" (MARCA, 7/6).
