Paraguay part ways with coach Arce

ASUNCION - The Paraguayan Football Association (APF) has announced the departure of national men's football coach Francisco Arce after the team's failure to qualify for next year's World Cup.

Arce led the team to five wins and 10 defeats after taking charge of the Guaranies for a second time in August last year.

"The decision was made on Saturday. I spoke on the phone with the (APF) president (Robert Harrison) and offered to help in the future," Arce was quoted as saying by local press.

He said he had received an offer to coach in Brazil, without revealing the name of the club.

Paraguay missed a chance to qualify for football's showpiece tournament in Russia by losing their final qualifier at home to Venezuela in October. A victory would have earned the team a playoff spot.

Arce also coached Paraguay from September 2011 to June 2012.