Heimir Hallgrimsson announces his resignation from JFF after Copa America

The Jamaican football team Head coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson announced his resignation after two years of leading the national football team.

The 57-year-old Icelandic coach told Jamaica Football Federation president Michael Ricketts about his decision. The JFF quickly accepted Hallgrimsson’s resignation, recognising his efforts to raise national team standards during his tenure, however, his contract was set to expire after the 2026 World Cup

The Icelandic coach joined the Jamaican Football Federation in September 2022 as a coach to the Jamaican National Team. Hallgrimsson has worked as a coach to Al-Arabi and Iceland before and also performed as a player in the initial days of his career.

Hallgrimsson’s final match as manager of the Reggae Boyz was a 3-0 loss to Venezuela in the Copa America at Austin, Texas, bringing their season to an end with no points from three games.

Jamaica’s senior men’s national team entered the Copa America 2024 with high hopes after their best-ever Nations League campaign, which included a 3-2 victory in Canada to secure their spot in the competition. However, goalkeeper/captain Andre Blake’s injury and the Leon Bailey incident posed big concerns heading into the competition. The team lost hard-fought games to Mexico (1-0) and Ecuador (3-1).

However, reports circulated over the weekend that Hallgrímsson’s resignation was long due before the Copa.

Heimir Hallgrímsson went 11-6-10 in 27 matches, including a 10-3-6 record in competitive fixtures. He led the team to the 2023 Gold Cup semis and the Copa America. The Icelandic manager had also previously led his country to Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.

According to the sources, the JFF expressed gratitude for Hallgrimsson’s contributions to the team and also commended his dedication.

Reportedly, the JFF stated that the Hallgrimsson has worked assiduously to lift the standard of the national team. The JFF further thanked the coach for his commendable performance and commitment towards the success of the team.

According to the sources, the committee will now begin the search for a replacement ahead of the Concacaf Nations League and the next round of FIFA World Cup qualifying games.