Diego Maradona Let Go as Argentina Coach
The Argentine Football Association announced Tuesday that they will not be renewing Diego Maradona’s contract as coach of the Argentine National Football team. Maradona, who was originally hired in November of 2008 was thinking of stepping down from the position, but was let go before he could resign
The decision comes 3 ½ weeks after an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup. Immediately after the loss while leaving the field, Maradona had gotten into a bit of a scuffle with a small portion of the crowd.
"Diego shut himself off to any change," executive committee member Luis Segura said on Argentine television. "Diego has all the right to do what he wants. But so does AFA."
The AFA offered Marodona a new four-year contract, which would have run through the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. However, Maradona insisted that he keep his entire staff.
AFA president Julio Grondona felt that was unacceptable. Grondona felt that several assistants needed to be replaced including Alejandro Mancuso, a close friend of Maradona. The AFA said their decision was unanimous to not keep Maradona as a result.
Ernesto Cherquis Bialo, who is a spokesman for the AFA called the decision "very painful" but said there was no way to solve the impasse.
"The president said that there was a significant difference between what AFA wanted to achieve and Maradona's aspirations for the future," Cherquis Bialo said. "There was a wide gap, and it was impossible to narrow it."
Cherquis Bialo did not rule out however, a possible future role for Maradona.
"This marks the end of a first chapter with Mr. Maradona," Cherquis Bialo said. "The doors to this house, as always, will be open to him."
For now, Sergio Batista, who is currently serving as Argentina’s youth team manager will serve as interim coach. He will be coaching the team for two upcoming exhibition matches which include a match against Ireland on August 11, followed by a match against world champion Spain on September 7.
Rumuors are already swirling that Alejandro Sabella of Estudiantes and Miguel Russo of Racing, both club coaches in Argentina, could be possible successors.
"The people who were in the meeting have no name in their imaginations. It has just been announced that the contract with the coach will not be renewed. And so, a new stage begins" Cherquis Bialo said.
Maradona, who is considered by many to be the greatest football player in history, led Argentina to a World Cup title in Mexico at the 1986 World Cup and to the final at the 1990 World Cup in Italy as a player.
Maradona replaced Alfio Basile as National coach in 2008 despite having little coaching experience. During the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Argentina had played a successful attacking game with an enthusiastic Maradona coaching and cheerleading from the sideline. After the first stage of the World Cup many felt that Argentina was the clear-cut favourite to make it to the final and win it all.
However, a lack of total team defense and tactical deficiencies clearly showed against a much more organised German squad in the humiliating 4-0 defeat. Maradona’s team also lost 6-1 to Bolivia during World Cup qualifying in one of the worst losses in the country’s history.
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