Football Update: Diego Maradona's Reign as the Manager of the Argentinean National Side Ends
It’s a funny thing the world of football. Just over six months ago, Argentina were lingering through the qualifying round of the World Cup not sure if they will be the most high profile casualty. They barely made it through, surprised everyone with their mesmeric football, and made themselves favourites to lift the coveted trophy, only to be dismantled disgracefully by the German juggernaut.
Diego Maradona, who could not do a thing right in qualification, did not put a foot wrong in the World Cup in South Africa but the Germans were out of his league, as they humiliated the South American giants beating them in the quarter finals and that was the end of the road for him and his team.
Only this morning in Buenos Aires it was confirmed that The Argentinean Football Federation is not renewing the Contract of the Argentinean National Coach, Diego Maradona.
49 year old Maradona earlier admitted that he wanted to stay in his position ahead of the meeting with the AFA President Julia Grondona but it was the man’s rejection of making any changes in his backroom staff that proved to be his undoing, as AFA voted not to renew his contract.
Sergio Batista, the Argentinean under 20 coach, will serve as a care taker coach of the National side, until a permanent replacement for Maradona is announced.
After the meeting, Grondola said “It is difficult to agree. The hardest difference to agree on was changing some of Diego's staff. Nobody has been sacked. A contract has not been extended because the conditions were not suitable. When you cannot agree with somebody you love, you are not happy at all. I always want to talk to Maradona, but sometimes it is difficult because this is not the best moment."
There mixed feelings in the Country about Diego’s sacking but AFA general secretary Jose Luis Meiszner seems to be not so unhappy about the situation.
“I would be a hypocrite if I didn't admit there was a general disliking of several aspects of the cycle that ended with the World Cup. We did not see any intention to show humility, to say that things should have been done better. There was no evaluation, no review, and no conclusions. These are the things you have to think about in order to think about the future." Said Jose Luis
Alejandro Sabella, the Estudiantes coach, who served the Argentinean National side as an assistant coach at the 1990 World Cup and Miguel Angel Rosso of Racing Club along with Batista, are all linked with the job but Grondola said that there are yet no candidates in mind for the position.
"We have time to choose the technical staff," he said. "We have not thought about anybody yet. Batista is a member of the staff of this body, so he will obviously fill the place as long as is needed."
Batista, who played alongside Maradona at the 1986 World Cup has already guided Argentina to gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and will be responsible for picking the team for Argentina’s next international match against the Republic of Ireland, on the 11th of August at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Before the meeting with Maradona, Grondona was hopeful of renewing the manager’s contract but his firm stance of not letting go of his backroom staff made things difficult.
Grondona had already mad it clear that he wanted to make some changes in the backroom staff with Oscar Ruggeri, a former Argentinean defender most likely to be the first one to be shown the door.
Maradona took over as the coach of the National side in November 2008 and has won 8 and lost 7 of his 15 games in charge of the National side.
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