Hotfoot from creating a stir at the FIFA World Cup, Diego Maradona on Monday arrived in Belarus to begin the latest chapter in his colorful career.
Argentina’s 1986 World Cup winner insisted that his new role as president of first-tier Dinamo Brest was “very serious” and said he hoped his presence would help the nation’s sport “get better every day.”
The 57-year-old also expressed a wish to meet authoritarian Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Photo: AFP
“I have very good memories of [former Cuban president] Fidel Castro, [former Venezuelan president Hugo] Chavez and [former Libyan leader Muammar] Qaddafi and I also know [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” the former Argentina No. 10 said at a news conference.
“Now I want to do a photograph with Lukashenko,” he said of the former collective farm boss who has ruled the former Soviet state with an iron grip since 1994. “I hope after that he will become our fan.”
Lukashenko is better known as an avid ice hockey player.
The Argentine star spoke of his desire to settle in Belarus, which is sandwiched between Russia and Ukraine, and EU members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, saying he does not fear the cold.
“When I was small, I had no shoes and I walked barefoot, so I’m not afraid of snow. I can live in Belarus without any problems,” said the Argentine, who grew up in a shantytown.
He also said he was planning to learn Russian.
Maradona signed a three-year contract in May.
Dinamo Brest are sixth in the table just before the halfway point in the Belarussian league season.
“We’ll try to create a team that will battle for the best places,” said the former Ballon d’Or winner, whose infamous “Hand of God” goal against England helped Argentina win the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
One of the greatest players of all time, he became an increasing subject of ridicule at the World Cup in Russia.
He made an obscene gesture from the VIP box to celebrate Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 win over Nigeria which sent them into the round-of-16, drawing plenty of criticism.
Even after his nation’s exit at the hands of France, he managed to keep himself in the limelight by claiming that he would turn the team’s fortunes around if named coach and then being rebuked by FIFA after ranting about the officials following Colombia’s loss to England.
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