Colombia's Hernan Dario Gomez resigns following nightclub assault

Posted Wednesday, August 10, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Colombia coach Hernan Dario Gomez has stepped down from his post, after admitting that he assaulted a woman in Bogota during a nightclub scuffle.

The 55-year-old, known in South America as 'Bolillo', met with Colombia FA officials on Tuesday, the day after publicly recognizing reports published over the weekend that he had struck an unnamed woman outside the El Bembe bar in the nation's capital. Gomez originally resigned from the technical committee of the Under-20 World Cup, but fell short of giving up his post at the head of the national team.

The incident provoked an outcry from anti-domestic violence and women's groups, however, and he was called into a meeting with the FA on Tuesday morning to decide his future. In a statement released on the Association's website, it was revealed that Gomez opted to leave the national team.

"This morning, and after a profound personal reflection… Hernan Dario Gomez Jaramillo presented his resignation as coach of the senior national team," the statement confirms.

"The Colombian Federation wants to reiterate emphatically that it regrets and condemns any violent act exercised by functionaries, players or trainers. For the moment, there is no trainer at the helm of the Seleccion".

The board also stated their intention to support Gomez in getting personal help to overcome the incident, while making known their opposition to his "unacceptable and unjustifiable" actions.

The coach had been in charge since May 2011, in what was his second spell in charge of Colombia. He led his nation into this year's Copa America, which ended with a surprise quartersfinal defeat at the hands of Peru