I should not have deserted Ghana - Barreto

Former Ghana Coach Mariano Barreto says leaving the Black Stars coaching job was one of the biggest mistakes in his career as a football coach.

The Portuguese trainer resigned from his duties as head coach of the senior national team after returning from the 2004 Olympic Games with the Black Meteors team.

The 58-year-old had established a good relationship with the Ghanaian football public having took charge of the Black Stars team in 2003.

Barreto upon returning from a rather poor campaign in Athens where the Black Meteors failed to qualify out of the group stages decided to part ways with the African giants to join Portuguese Club Maritimo.

The former Kuban Krasnador and Spartak Moscow assistant coach has expressed regret after relinquishing his post as head coach of the Black Stars.

“Leaving the Black Stars job was wrong. I accept I made a mistake,” he said in an interview.

“But that's all I could do at the time- Mariano Barreto. I suffered so much as a Coach after leaving Ghana.”

“It is only a stupid Coach who will leave a national team like Ghana and take a job in a club.”

“My life was Ghana, I understood the Culture immediately when I took over and my family was comfortable here.”

The affable football manager also worked as head coach of the Ethiopian National team for one year.