Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona capped a remarkable comeback from a near fatal heart attack four years ago to be named coach of the national side on Tuesday.
Maradona, who turns 48 today and who has no top-level coaching experience, said he hoped to repeat the success of the 1986 World Cup when as a player he inspired the team to take the title almost single-handedly.
He will be assisted by the coach of the 1986 squad, Carlos Bilardo, who will serve as the new director of football.
PHOTO: AFP
Their respective roles were rubber-stamped at a meeting with Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona.
“During the conversation with Grondona and Bilardo it became clear that I was to coach the team,” said Maradona, whose international playing career came to an ignominious end when he failed a dope test at the 1994 World Cup finals. “However, I am going to listen to everything Bilardo has to say. He is going to help me as we can’t leave someone with the success, experience and knowledge he brings on the sidelines.”
“Grondona’s ideas are the same as mine and Bilardo’s. My job will be to go and watch the players as often as possible,” Maradona said. “The idea is to return the squad to the spirit of 1986.”
Maradona — who was also part of the Argentina side that muscled its way into the 1990 final only to have two players sent off as they lost 1-0 to West Germany — won crucial support last week in his bid to become coach when the man charged with finding Alfio Basile’s successor threw his weight behind the World Cup-winning skipper.
“I’d like Maradona to be the next coach,” said Noray Nakis, president of the Argentine Football Association selection commission.
Basile resigned a fortnight ago after a World Cup qualifying defeat to Chile that left them in third place after 10 matches, seven points adrift of leaders Paraguay.
Maradona faced competition for the job from Carlos Bianchi, the former coach of Boca Juniors, whom he led to four national league titles, San Lorenzo coach Miguel Angel Russo and Sergio Batista, who took the Under-23 squad to Olympic gold in Beijing in August.
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