Reinaldo Navia, a former Chile striker and bronze medalist at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, criticized Nicolás Córdova, La Roja's interim coach. He also revealed that the coach himself messaged him on WhatsApp after an earlier criticism.
According to BioBioChile, "Choro" spoke in an interview with Sanhueza TV. He recalled Córdova saying that Chilean football is not ready to compete at the highest levels. Chilevisión also covered the interview and added that Navia mentioned the coach's comments about last year's "metrics."
"I went after him a bit, you know? And it seemed to bother him. A few days later, he sends me a WhatsApp message," the former América player in Mexico recounted. According to his account, Córdova asked why he was criticizing him and told him: "if you knew what was happening in Chilean football." Navia said he replied that he had not meant any harm, but that the coach "couldn't say that."
For the former Santiago Wanderers player, the problem is the message the footballers receive. "You're saying we're mediocre, that we're not good enough, that we're bad, practically," he said. He also questioned the players who came out in support of the coach.
Navia said that, if he were still playing, he would have reacted differently. He recalled confronting Nelson Acosta, "el Pelado," when he coached the national team, and Reinaldo Sánchez when he was president of the ANFP (National Professional Football Association). "If I hear Nico saying that, I go and confront him. I don't care whether he drops me from the national team or not," he said.
The former striker argued that a coach can say those things in the dressing room and discuss them with the squad, but not in front of the press. "As a player, you're going to lose credibility," he explained, adding that what a footballer needs most is motivation and the confidence of his coach.
Navia also criticized Córdova's career. He acknowledged that he had built his career in Europe, but said that "he didn't play for big clubs either" and that he was not a particularly distinguished Chile international.
Still, in the interview covered by Chilevisión, Navia praised Chile's victory over Mexico on October 6. "I liked how Chile played, despite the difficult moments and criticism," he said. He nevertheless added that "everyone wants Córdova out" and that, in his view, the coach has been given too many opportunities.
