Argentine FA chief backs beleaguered coach Martino

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina’s worst start to a World Cup qualifying campaign does not put coach Gerardo Martino’s future in doubt, Argentine FA chief Luis Segura said on Monday amid media speculation his job was on the line.

Martino’s team play Colombia away on Tuesday looking for their first win after taking only two points from three matches, worse than their start to the qualifiers for the 1970 finals, the last they failed to reach.

Argentina, playing without the injured Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, are ninth in the 10-nation South American group, having managed one goal — in last week’s 1-1 draw at home to Brazil.

“Martino is as worried as we all are because the results are not what we expected,” Segura told TyC Sports. “It’s true we all depend on results but we aren’t thinking of altering the Martino process.”

(Reporting by Luis Ampuero; Writing by Rex Gowar)