Warner hints at possible Latapy exit

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Football mogul Jack Warner gave the strongest hint yet that Trinidad and Tobago head coach Russell Latapy could be axed, when he said this week that coaches needed to secure positive results in order to preserve their jobs.

Warner, a special advisor to the T&T Football Federation, was speaking in the wake of the Soca Warriors’ failed campaign in the Digicel Caribbean Cup when the national side failed to make it out of the first round of the Finals in Martinique. Since then, speculation has swirled over Latapy’s future with Warner making the first public comment about his continued tenure with the Warriors.

“Coaches remain alive based on their success … you succeed and you are regaled; you fail and you pay a price and coaches all over the world know that,” said the CONCACAF boss on his return from Zurich following the announcement of the highly publicized 2018 and 2022 World Cup last Thursday.

“I can’t say officially what will happen to Latapy but all I know is that in coaching, you survive by results.”

Latapy came under pressure even before the start of the Digicel Cup, after the Soca Warriors had a string of poor results. They drew 1-1 draw away to Guyana, suffered a disappointing nil-all stalemate with Belize before being hammered 3-0 by Panama.

T&T won all their matches in the group stages of the Digicel Cup last month but a 2-0 loss to Cuba and a 1-0 defeat to Grenada saw them failing to make the semi-finals of the tournament.

There is speculation that Latapy could be replaced by former Dutch star Ruud Gullit