Maradona dropped as Argentina coach
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The Argentine Football Association (AFA) decided not to extend Diego Maradona's contract as national team coach on Tuesday, AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo said.
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Argentina's head coach Diego Maradona reacts during the 2010 World Cup quarter-final soccer match against Germany at Green Point stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, on July 3, 2010.Germany won 4-0 and is qualified for the semi-finals. [Xinhua/Chen Haitong] |
The Argentine Football Association announced that his contract would not be renewed after Maradona had said he would only accept the AFA's offer of a new four-year deal through to the 2014 World Cup if his entire staff also remained.
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.
As an inexperienced coach, Maradona's record over 18 months was less than stellar and the team only qualified for the World Cup finals by the skin of their teeth.
The AFA would likely need to announce an interim coach for the friendly against Ireland on Aug. 11 in Dublin.
Maradona became Argentina's coach in November 2008, replacing Alfio Basile and taking over a team he led to the 1986 World Cup title. His results were mixed.
The Argentine team suffered two of the worst losses in history, a 6-1 hammering at Bolivia in World Cup qualifying, and a 4-0 battering by Germany in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Although several players had spoken up for him after a run to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, where Germany proved too strong, the AFA decided it was time to give the job to someone else.
Maradona had said earlier in the week that he hoped to continue in his role but only on condition he could keep his backroom staff, including faithful assistant Alejandro Mancuso.
Media reports suggested that Grondona had vetoed that wish.
During his tenure, Maradona called up over 100 players. The 23- man World Cup squad he announced in May excluded veteran defender Javier Zanetti and midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, who both play for Champions League winner Inter Milan.
In a shock move, he picked Ariel Garce in his squad despite the defender only playing his first international for Argentina in May against Haiti.
He was banned from all football activity for two months after crudely insulting journalists in the aftermath of the win over Uruguay last October that secured Argentina's place at the World Cup.
