Juan Reynoso was confirmed as coach of Peru's national team to replace
, the Peruvian Soccer Federation (FPF) announced on social media on Tuesday afternoon.
Reynoso's main objective will be to enable Peru to qualify for the 2026 World Cup tournament.
"From captain to coach! Juan Reynoso is the new coach of our Peruvian team, with the goal of (qualifying for) the 2026 World Cup," the federation expressed on Twitter.
Within this framework, FPF Chairman Agustin Lozano highlighted the qualities of the Red-White Team's new coach.
Following the departure of Gareca and the designation of Juan Carlos Oblitas as the FPF's Soccer Department Director General, the name of Juan Reynoso was one of the most publicized to wear the coach tracksuit.
Player
Before becoming a trainer, Reynoso played for Peruvian teams Alianza Lima and Universitario de Deportes.
While defending the national squad, he was also coached by Juan Carlos Oblitas, with whom he has a good relationship.
In Mexico, he played for clubs Cruz Azul and Necaxa.
Coach
After retiring as a soccer player, he began his career as coach at Peruvian club Coronel Bolognesi in Tacna —a team with which he won the 2007 Closing Tournament.
Then, he was signed by Universitario de Deportes and crowned national champion in 2009.
In the Peruvian league, he also coached Juan Aurich, Sporting Cristal, Real Garcilaso, and FBC Melgar. The latter one became champion in 2015.
Reynoso is one of the few Peruvian coaches who has won titles in one of the most competitive soccer leagues in the Americas —the Mexican one.
There he led Puebla, but with Cruz Azul —where he is one of the idols— he won the championship in 2021, thus ending 23 years of the "the Machine" without having touched glory.
At age 52, Juan Reynoso already has extensive experience as a coach —a long career that has led him to become the new helmsman of the Peruvian team.
In fact, the bar for him will be very high, and the great objective is to take the Red-White Team to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
During the selection process for possible candidates to coach the Peruvian squad, the FPF also analyzed some names, such as those of: Marcelo Bielsa, Reinaldo Rueda, Gerardo Pelusso, Sebastian Beccacece, Hernan Crespo, and Gustavo Quinteros.