Chile federation has not contacted San Jose Earthquakes about Matias Almeyda

Rumors in the Spanish-language press have continually linked San Jose Earthquakes head coach Matias Almeyda to all manner of coaching vacancies in Latin America, the latest to the Chile National Team manager role.

Despite reports out of Chile this weekend that the announcement of Almeyda’s appointment as Chilean national team head coach is imminent, Almeyda remains under contract and an Earthquakes team source told Center Line Soccer on Saturday that the Chilean federation has not contacted them about Almeyda.

As has been the case with previous rumors linking Almeyda to other jobs, the coach’s contract with the Earthquakes remains in place and another team would need to buy out his current contract with San Jose in order to secure him. Since the ANFP (Chile’s FA) have not yet contacted the Earthquakes, per the source, any news of an imminent announcement of Almeyda’s departure appears to be inaccurate.

Almeyda has managed the Earthquakes for two seasons, coming off a 2020 campaign in which his side reached the knockouts of the MLS is Back Tournament and the MLS Cup Playoffs, improvements on the previous season’s performance. The Earthquakes have signed attacker Eduardo “Chofis” Lopez so far this offseason, a player who played under Almeyda previously in his career.

As always, there’s a good reason Almeyda is linked to so many jobs, because he’s a sought-after coach, and while there’s no guarantee a team won’t eventually pay his buyout clause, so far that has not happened in regards to Chile’s national team. We’ll keep you posted if we hear more about this story of note.

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