Argentina replace Diego Maradona with Sergio Batista
The Argentina Football Association have announced Sergio Batista as the national team’s new coach, four months after Diego Maradona left the position following a dispute.
Batista, 47, has been in charge of Argentina since the 2010 World Cup finals ended and led the Albicelestes to an eye-catching 4-1 friendly victory against world champions Spain in September.
Prior to his interim manager spell, he managed the Argentina’s Under-23 side to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
The 1986 World Cup winner, who played for the national team as a defensive midfielder, has been awarded a contract until the end of the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil – providing Argentina qualify for the tournament.
"I'm fulfilling a dream, one of my great objectives," Batista said.
"I want us to win what we so desire, the last game of the 2014 World Cup."
Maradona’s successor faces a baptism of fire – a trip to Qatar to take on South American rivals Brazil in a friendly on November 17th – before preparations begin for next summer’s Copa America.
But while the AFA may have confidence in Batista’s managerial credentials, his predecessor remains far from convinced.
"I was very proud to have trained Lionel Messi. With me he was happy, don’t you doubt it. I understood him like no one else," Maradona revealed to reporters.
"If Batista says now that Messi’s happy, it’s because he dressed up as a clown. Checho can’t make anyone happy."
A case of sour grapes? More than likely. Maradona conceded that his 50th birthday, which he was meant to have celebrated on Saturday, proved one of the saddest days of his life because he was no longer in charge of the national team.
It had been reported several months ago that Alejandro Sabella – the former Sheffield United and Leeds United midfielder – was the frontrunner for the vacancy, while there was even recent speculation linking Maradona with a dramatic return.
However, it’s Batista who has been assigned the task of reviving Argentina’s fortunes on the world stage.
With or without the backing of Argentina’s most iconic figure.
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