Wanchope takes permanent control of Costa Rica

Paulo Wanchope will continue to coach Costa Rica after being appointed as the permanent successor to Jorge Luis Pinto.

The Costa Rican Soccer Federation (Fedefutbol) have announced that Paulo Wanchope will continue to coach the team on a permanent basis following a successful stint in caretaker charge.

Former Costa Rica striker Wanchope, 38, was handed control of his country when Jorge Luis Pinto stepped down in the wake of a successful 2014 World Cup campaign.

Pinto exceeded all expectations by leading Costa Rica, who had been grouped with Uruguay, Italy and England, to the quarter-finals in Brazil.

However, he was subsequently unable to reach an agreement over a new contract and Wanchope has since overseen six unbeaten matches at the helm, and victory in last year’s Copa Centroamericana.

His permanent appointment was announced in a tweet by the official Fedefutbol account, which read: “The Executive Committee of the Costa Rican Soccer Federation has appointed Paulo Wanchope as new coach.

“Paulo Wanchope will be presented on Tuesday at a press conference.”