Maradona set to become next coach of Argentina
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=586727&sec=worldcup2010&cc=4716
Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona is setto be named coach of the national side on Tuesday according to 1986World Cup winning coach Carlos Bilardo after he came out of a meetingwith Argentinian Football Association president Julio Grondona.
''Diego will be the next coach of the national team," said Bilardo, who will reportedly be director of football of the team.
Priorto the meeting, Grondona told Uruguayan radio station Colonia theArgentinian Football Association were considering ditching thetraditional one-coach system in favour of a committee.
The Albicelestes have been without a coach since Alfio Basile stepped down for personal reasons on October 16.
"Responsibilitycannot only be on one person and we are analysing whether we continuewith the one-coach system or we change it by forming a coaching body,"Grondona told Colonia.
"One person can never control everything.That system is not working. Coaches are only staying in charge for twoor three games. When a forward misses a goal, everybody is looking atthe coach and immediately pointing at him.
"I really don't know if all the coaches agree with the idea of a group. Anyway, we are not in a hurry."
Meanwhile,Pedro Troglio, coach of Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno, claims he hasalready been approached by Maradona to become a member of the newArgentina set-up.
"I am extremely happy, but I must keep my feeton the ground," Maradona's former international team-mate told the Olenewspaper. "The world's best player has called me.
"It was ahuge surprise. Being aware that your name is included as possiblecoaching staff is amazing, but we'll have to wait to see whether Diegois selected."
The 48-year-old Maradona - who almostsingle-handedly led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup trophy - woncrucial support last week in his bid to become the next Argentina coachwhen the man charged with finding Alfio Basile's successor threw hisweight behind the World Cup winning skipper.
"I'd like Maradonato be the next coach," said Noray Nakis, the president of the ArgentinaFootball Association (AFA) selection commission.
Maradona facedcompetition for the job from Carlos Bianchi, the former coach of BocaJuniors, whom he led to four national league titles, San Lorenzo coachMiguel Angel Russo and Sergio Batista who took the Under-23 squad toOlympic gold in Beijing in August.
Liverpool and Argentinamidfielder Javier Mascherano said that Maradona, widely regarded as theworld's greatest ever footballer, is an ideal candidate to take thereins.
"Maradona can contribute to the team all of hisexperience," he told the Daily Mail. "What he has given us as a player,no other player could give that to Argentina. He has given us so much." |
發表於 2008-10-29 01:18 PM
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