Barros Schelotto quits Lanus, joins departing Argentine coaches

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Lanus coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto has become the latest top Argentine manager to seek a fresh challenge elsewhere after he announced on Friday he was leaving the first division side next month.

Barros Schelotto, a former Boca Juniors and Argentina striker, will leave after the Argentine playoffs for next year’s Copa Sudamericana, South America’s equivalent of Europe’s second-tier competition, the Europa League.

“We decided with the club board that the best thing would be to end the link in December. It’s not an economic issue,” the 42-year-old, who took charge in 2012, told a news conference.

Barros Schelotto, who played for Columbus Crew in the United States before embarking on a coaching career, steered Lanus to the 2013 Copa Sudamericana, the biggest achievement in the history of the modest club from a southern Buenos Aires suburb.

Known as “Mellizo” (twin), he was helped at Lanus by his twin brother Gustavo who was his assistant coach.

He joins two other coaches, who announced earlier in November they were leaving their clubs: San Lorenzo’s Edgardo Bauza, who steered the Saints to their first title in the elite regional Libertadores Cup last year, and Racing Club’s Diego Cocca.

Cocca’s last matches in charge of Racing, who won the first division title last year, are in the two-legged playoff final that takes place this weekend and next against bitter rivals Independiente.

The final will decide Argentina’s final berth in next year’s Libertadores.

(Writing by Rex Gowar; editing by Toby Davis)