Trapatonni pulls out of Ghana coaching race

Finder Sports can exclusively reveal that veteran coach, Giovanni Trapatonni has pulled out of the race to become the new head coach of the Ghana Black Stars.

Our sources say the former Republic of Ireland manager officially wrote to the Ghana Football Association over the weekend to withdraw his candidature, citing ill-health and his advancing age as the rational for his decision to withdraw.

Finder Sports’ checks at the GFA indicates that the 75-year-old was one of the six-shortlisted applicants for the vacant Black Stars job, but his withdrawal means only five candidates will be interviewed for the job.

The Black Stars are without a substantive coach following the dismissal of Kwesi Appiah who took charge of Ghana’s well documented and infamous 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign in Brazil earlier this year.

A three-man committee headed by GFA Vice President, Fred Crentsil has since been set up to help appoint a new coach for the senior national football team. Over thirty coaches applied for the job but the committee has pruned the figure to five with Trapatonni deemed as one of the hot favourites until his withdrawal. A new Black Stars coach is expected to be announced by October 15, 2014 after Ghana’s double Nations Cup qualifiers against Guinea in October.

Trapatonni has been out of a job since parting company with Ireland in September 2013 after five years in charge. He has been at the helm of AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Cagliari and Fiorentina in Serie A during his 40-year coaching career.

The former Italy boss is one of only five coaches to have won the league title in at least four different countries - Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Austria.