Message Boards

PANAMA CITY - Panagol has become Pana-coach - full time.

Panamanian career scoring leader Julio Dely Valdes was given the job of manager of the national team on Wednesday, elevating him from the interim status gained earlier this year and reportedly signing a 10-month contract that will take him through next year's CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The 43-year-old Dely Valdes, who served as interim manager in 2006 and won four of five before Alexandre Guimares was given the job for World Cup qualifying, replaces Englishman Gary Stempel, who resigned after winning the Copa Centroamericana in 2009 and reaching the Gold Cup quarterfinals later that year.

"This is a very hopeful moment, something I have longed for a lot. I feel great satisfaction," Dely Valdes was quoted by the Panamanian Football Federation on its official Web site. "I don't promise titles to anybody, nor victories, but I will work hard with my staff."

As assistant with Malaga in Spain - where he played from 2000-2003 - the past two seasons, Dely Valdes will be assisted by his twin brother Jorge, Alfredo Poyatos, trainer Julio Toral and former national squad teammate Donaldo Gonzalez as goalkeeper coach.

Dely Valdes also has coached the Panama under-20 national team, qualifying it for the 2007 U-20 World Cup.

One of the country's most successful players, Dely Valdes a 20-year playing career that included stints at Cagliari in Italy, Paris Saint-Germain in France, Real Oviedo and Malaga in Spain, Nacional in Uruguay and Arabe Unido in his native Panama.