Qualification for the FIFA World Cup finals continued being an elusive objective for Peru during the early 21st century. According to historian Charles F. Walker, player indiscipline problems marred Peru's national team and football league. Troubles in the FPF, particularly with its then-president Manuel Burga, deepened the crisis in Peruvian football—FIFA temporarily suspended the country from international competition, in late 2008, because the Peruvian government investigated alleged corruption within the FPF. Burga's twelve-year tenure as FPF president, deemed by journalists and the public as disastrous for the national team despite a third place at the 2011 Copa América, ended in 2014. The FPF's new leadership appointed Juan Carlos Oblitas as the federation's new director and Ricardo Gareca as Peru's manager in March 2015. Gareca is credited by sports journalists as revitalizing Peru's football prowess by improving the players' training and professional sports conduct. Under Gareca, Peru achieved third place in the 2015 Copa América, reached the quarter-finals of the Copa América Centenario, participated in the group stage of the Russia 2018 World Cup finals, and finished runners-up at the 2019 Copa América.