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Coach Maradona greeted with scepticism among fans

Buenos Aires (Argentina): Dismissive of those who criticise his limited coaching experience, Diego Maradona is eager to take charge of Argentina.

“We’re holding meetings trying to lay out the coaching team. I’m anxious for it to become official,” Maradona told journalists on Wednesday while leaving his house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Maradona will be confirmed as national coach next Tuesday, a week after the job was offered by Julio Grondona, head of the Argentine Football Federation.

But Maradona’s coaching team is running into problems already. He hoped some of his former national teammates could be assistant coaches or trainers, but Sergio Batista, the Argentina youth team coach, who led the country to Olympic gold in Beijing, appears to be backing off.

Grondona was reported to have organised a meeting with Batista on Thursday to offer him a staff position but Batista implied in an interview with Del Plata Radio Station that he may reject it.

“I have my own coaching team and I’m going to respect it. I’m very happy with the youth squad,” Batista said on Thursday. Maradona is also sure of lifting the team, which was third in South American qualifying for the World Cup. “We have what it takes to make sure Argentina smiles while watching the national team play,” he said. However, many Argentines are sceptical about Maradona’s appointment and don’t think he’s fit for the job.

In an unofficial online poll by daily Clarin, nearly 74 per cent of the 50,000 voters said they disagreed with the decision to hire Maradona, who was Argentina captain when it won the 1986 World Cup and reached the 1990 final.

Another poll by daily La Nacion showed similar results, with less than 10 per cent of the 5,000 voters saying it was a “good” decision to have Maradona replace Alfio Basile.— AP

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