- The former FC Barcelona youth coach and Qatar National Team manager took over La Tri in 2023
- CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™ will be the Spainard’s second time competing in the competition, the first coming in 2019 with Qatar.
Barcelona born manager Felix Sanchez will lead Ecuador into CONMBEBOL Copa América 2024™ with the hopes of taking La Tri to their first ever final. Sanchez was born in the Catalonian capital city in 1975 and would join FC Barcelona academy set up in 1996, staying with the club for 10 years.
He’d then leave for Qatar to join the Aspire Academy, an organization in Qatar that worked to develop young players in the country. From there he joined up with the Qatar National Team youth teams, coaching the U19 and U23’s. Finally in 2017, Sanchez would be named head coach of the senior team and would lead them to their first ever AFC Asian Cup final in 2019 which they’d go on to win 3-1 over Japan.
Following Qatar’s AFC Asian Cup victory in 2019, Sanchez and his team would participate in their first ever CONMEBOL Copa América™. They would go on to finish bottom of Group B, drawing against Paraguay and losing close games to Colombia and Argentina.
Sanchez’s last major tournament with Qatar came during the 2022 FIFA World Cup which Qatar hosted. Ironically enough, Sanchez would lose to his future employer, Ecuador, in the first match of the tournament 2-0, and after failing to register a win in the group stage, Sanchez’s managerial contract with Qatar was not renewed.
Then in 2023, he would replace fellow CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™ manager Gustavo Alfaro as head coach of Ecuador. Alfaro would leave Ecuador to take over Costa Rica.
Under Sanchez’s leadership, Ecuador sits fifth in the current CONMEBOL 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification standings, with 3 wins, 2 draws and one loss. Highlights during qualification so far include wins over Uruguay and Chile.
La Tri will take on Venezuela to open Group B of the tournament. The match will take place on June 22 in Santa Clara, California at Levi Stadium. Tickets are still available here.
