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Argentina drop Maradona as coach
BUENOS AIRES: Diego Maradona’s stormy spell as Argentina coach came to an end on Tuesday when the Argentine Football Association (AFA) voted unanimously not to renew his contract, AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo said.
Doubts had surrounded the 49-year-old’s future ever since a tense meeting with AFA president Julio Grondona on Monday and newspapers had spent the day speculating on who would succeed the man who led the team to victory as star player at the 1986 World Cup.
“There needed to be some changes among Diego’s staff ...and we couldn’t come to an agreement,” AFA chief Julio Grondona told reporters. “No one’s being kicked out, a contract hasn’t been renewed because we didn’t have the conditions to do so.”
“The president put some salient points to Maradona in their long conversation yesterday,” Cherquis said. “And the executive committee unanimously resolved not to renew Maradona’s contract as technical director of the national teams.”
Maradona, said on Sunday he wanted to stay on, but only if he could keep control over the choice of his assistants.
As an inexperienced coach, Maradona’s record over 18 months was less than stellar and the team only qualified for the World Cup finals by the skin of their teeth. He had a patchy tenure as coach of Argentina, however, the team’s convincing wins in their opening World Cup games propelled them into the list of favorites.
Although several players had spoken up for him after a run to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, where Germany proved too strong, the AFA decided it was time to give the job to someone else.
Maradona had said earlier in the week that he hoped to continue in his role but only on condition he could keep his backroom staff, including faithful assistant Alejandro Mancuso. Media reports suggested that Grondona had vetoed that wish.
Maradona’s often controversial tenure saw him use more than 100 players as he grappled with various formations. He was banned from all football activity for two months after crudely insulting journalists in the aftermath of the win over Uruguay last October that secured Argentina’s place at the World Cup.
“It’s official — Maradona is no longer the coach of the Argentine team,” said La Nacion newspaper in its online edition.
“It’s the end of a cycle,” the paper added. Clarin daily said on its website: “Grondona shows Maradona the exit.”
One name in the frame to succeed him is Alejandro Sabella, 55, who led Estudiantes to the Copa Libertadores last year.
Other potential candidates include Miguel Angel Russo (Racing Club) and Sergio Batista, currently in charge of the Argentine under-20s and who helped steer the country to Olympic glory in the Beijing Games in 2008. Batista has been chosen to select a squad for the August 11 friendly against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. |
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