Argentine Football Association decides against renewing Diego Maradona's contract as national coach
Argentine Football Association decides against renewingu00a0 Diego Maradona's contract as national coachu00a0
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) last night decided not to renew Diego Maradona's contract as national team coach, 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.
"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."
As an inexperienced coach, Maradona's record over 18 months was less than stellar and the team only just managed to qualify for the World Cup finals.
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's often controversial tenure saw him use more than 100 players as he grappled with various formations.
"It's official -- Maradona is no longer the coach of the Argentine team," said La Nacion newspaper in its online edition.
One name in the frame to succeed him is Alejandro Sabella, 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 youth set-upu00a0 and who helped steer the country gold in the Beijing Games in 2008.
Fans have a soft spot for Carlos Bianchi, but his chances are slim due to a poor relationship with Grondona.
Morning latest
3:01 am: AFA decides that Diego Maradona'su00a0 reign as Argentina coach should end.
Diego Maradona factfile...>>u00a0Personal
Date of birth: October 30, 1960
Place of birth: Buenos Aires, Argentine
Height: 1.68m
>> Playing career
Argentinos Juniors (1976-80), Boca Juniors (1981-82), Barcelona (ESP/1982-84), Napoli (ITA/1984-91), Sevilla (ESP 1992-93), Newell's Old Boys (1993), Boca Juniors (1995-97)
>> International caps: 91 (1977-94)
>> International goals: 34
>> Honours: World Cup winner (1986), UEFA Cup winner (1989), Italian champion (1987, 1990), Argentine champion (1981), Spanish Super Cup (1983), Spanish Cup (1983), Italian Cup (1987)
>> Coaching career
Textil Mandiyu (1994), Racing Club (1995), Argentina (2008-2010)
