Former Colombia coach Eduardo Lara is the new man at El Salvador's reins. The 57-year-old replaces former Ramon Maradiaga, who stepped down after La Selecta were eliminated from CONCACAF qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ when they finished bottom of their fourth-round group, taking just two points from six matches.

"I’m very happy to get to the team,” Lara, who had been in charge of El Salvador’s U-20s, told a press conference. “I came to work, to try and contribute to the team and put a grain of sand behind the growth of football in this country.

“I’m not taking the Salvadoran job for money – I will earn the same as I did with the U-20s. I’m doing it for the dream of a country.”

El Salvador appeared in two World Cups, the first being in 1970. They pipped Mexico to a place at Spain 1982, and though they lost 10-1 to Hungary in what remains the heaviest defeat in the tournament’s history, Luis ‘Pele’ Ramirez Zapata did spark wild celebrations by scoring their consolation.

Lara coached a Colombia team including Cristian Zapata, Pablo Armero, Fredy Guarin and Adrian Ramos to the FIFA U-20 World Cup semi-finals in 2003.

El Profesor assumed the senior controls with Los Cafeteros struggling in South Africa 2010 qualifying, and though he masterminded some impressive results – a draw away to Brazil, a 2-0 win in Paraguay and victories at home to Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador – it proved insufficient.