Crespo Resigns From Defensa's Coach Seat After Winning The Sudamericana Cup

Hernan Crespo (Instagram @hernancrespo)

JAKARTA - Former Argentina national team striker Hernan Crespo has resigned from the defensa y Justicia chair after leading the club to the Sudamericana Cup title last month.

Crespo has reportedly received several job offers, including coaching the Chilean national team which will feature in this year's World Cup qualifiers and America's Cup.

"I would like to tell you that I am leaving, along with my support staff, Defensa y Justicia, grateful for a welcome that is very respectful, loving and trusting in our work," wrote Crespo in his Instagram account reported by Antara.

The Buenos Aires suburb club beat fellow Argentine Lanus 3-0 in the final of the Sudamericana Cup, the Europe League equivalent of the blue continent.

Crespo spent most of his career in Italy, playing for Parma, Lazio and Inter Milan. He has also been in AC Milan's uniform on loan after being bought by Chelsea in 2003.

Prior to training Defensa, Crespo pursued a coaching career by coaching the Parma youth team in 2014. After Parma disbanded, in 2015 Crespo was asked to become the coach of Italian second-tier club Modena. But at Modena, Crespo was fired due to his team's poor performance.

In December 2018, Crespo was appointed coach of Argentine League club Banfield, but it was also the club that Crespo failed to bring to the level of achievement expected by management and fans which led to his sacking in September 2019.

Crespo was then recruited by Defensa in January 2020. He successfully led the club to win their first international trophy, as well as his first achievement as a coach, when he won the Sudamericana Cup on 23 January.