Sign In Using Facebook  |  Sign In  |  Sign Up

Diego Maradona out as Argentina soccer coach

playerpress.com Written by playerpress.com, Tuesday July 27 2010
Text Size - A +

Diego Maradona is out as the coach of the Argentina national soccer squad, the Argentine Football Association announced Tuesday.

 

Argentine Football Association officials said Maradona's contract would not be renewed after the club came close to not qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Even though the squad then turned in a strong performance in South Africa, eventually losing to Germany 4-0 in the quarterfinals.

 

"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 decided unanimously to drop the 49-year-old soccer icon on Tuesday. As a player in 1986, Maradona led Argentina to its last World Cup championship.

 

Maradona became Argentina's manager in November 2008. He was initially offered a four-year contract extension to lead Argentina through the 2014 World Cup, but Maradona said he would do so only if his entire staff remained.

 

That was unacceptable to AFA president Julio Grondona. He had asked for several assistants to be replaced, including Maradona's close friend Alejandro Mancuso.

 

"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."

 

Maradona, who has fought cocaine and alcohol addiction, grew up in a Buenos Aires slum, and his escape from poverty has endeared him to many.


Tags:  





Leave a comment

Name *
Email *
Website

Create date
— :

Article

Sport

City

Team

Photo

X

Not So Fast! To publish your comment, you have to login

Not Registered? Register now as it only take 20 seconds!



Click here to browse




0 comments