Bielsa quits after Chile federation chief ousted

Chile’s football coach, Marcelo Bielsa, quit the post on Thursday after the Chilean football federation (ANPF) failed to re-elect Harold Mayne-Nicholls as president.

Spanish businessman Jorge Segovia, who is the president of the Union Espanola club and has the support of top flight clubs like Colo Colo and Universidad de Chile, was instead elected head of the ANPF by 28 votes to 22.

Argentine Bielsa, who qualified Chile for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, had earlier held a lengthy press conference to lend his support to Mayne-Nicholls.

“The day that Harold is no longer in charge is the I quit this job,” said Bielsa.

It was Mayne-Nicholls, a 46-year-old journalist and member of FIFA, who helped recruit Bielsa in July 2008 and renewed the Argentine’s contract after the 2010 World Cup, a tournament Chile had last appeared in in 1998.

Chile won their opening two games, against Honduras and Switzerland, were beaten by Spain and, after making it to the second round, were eliminated by Brazil.

One of the key issues leading up to the election has been the sharing of profits from television rights. The top flight clubs are calling for a bigger share.