The cycle of Gustavo Alfaro with the Paraguayan National Team will have a much longer horizon than could have been imagined when the Argentine coach took over in August 2024. After leading the Albirroja to a recovery that ended with their qualification for the 2026 World Cup and a remarkable performance in the tournament, the coach renewed his contract until 2030 and, in addition, confirmed that this process will mark the end of his career.
In the press conference prior to the FIFA friendlies, the former coach of Boca was asked about the extension of his contract and took the opportunity to reveal a personal decision he has already made. "I thank my family because more than anything I have been running away from them for a long time. I tell them this is the last one, it's the last one... But everything we experienced with Paraguay since I arrived, the qualifying process and what we lived in the World Cup, I felt that there were still many things to do, I felt that the ceiling was still far away", he explained.
The determination is also related to the bond he built with the country during his time in charge of the national team. "There is a significant detail which is the sentiment of the country, which has affected me a lot. I have been coaching professionally for 36 years, I said that Paraguay hurt me at one point, because it broke that shell I had to keep myself distant. One tries to build a barrier to feel impermeable, not only to criticism but also to injustices. And Paraguay broke that", expressed the 64-year-old coach.
