Maradona denies rumors, says not resigning

[Spiral]

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)—Diego Maradona will remain Argentina coach after denying speculation that he planned to resign because of a dispute over his assistants with his boss.

“I’m still the coach. There’s been no changes, no resignations, nothing,” Maradona told journalists Thursday in Mar del Plata, where he was visiting the Argentina tennis team preparing for next week’s Davis Cup final against Spain.

“Things are the same as they always were,” Maradona added.

Officially appointed coach only last week, Maradona reportedly said he would quit before or after his first match in charge next Wednesday, a friendly at Scotland, because of a dispute with Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona over the freedom to appoint the remaining members of his coaching staff.


Team manager Carlos Bilardo had assured reporters on Wednesday that the soccer great would remain coach, but he acknowledged there was tension between Maradona and Grondona over the coach’s appointment of Oscar Ruggeri as his assistant.

“The president of the federation is in charge and the head of the coaching staff is Maradona,” Bilardo said. “Maradona has to choose the coaching staff. These things are always discussed to try and reach an agreement.”

Maradona made no mention of the disagreement Thursday.

Ruggeri was Maradona’s teammate when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, but Grondona has publicly expressed his disagreement with Ruggeri as Maradona’s assistant, saying he prefers Sergio Batista and Jose Luis Brown—the coach and assistant of Argentina’s Youth side.

Grondona made no attempt to hide his disdain when asked about Ruggeri, saying late Wednesday that he didn’t want him on the staff because “I don’t like the looks of him.”

Ruggeri has publicly criticized Grondona, also a FIFA vice president.

In October 2007, Ruggeri said Grondona should “leave the Argentine federation and just go home,” and recently called him an “old man” unfit to run the powerful organization.

Ruggeri tried to rise above the controversy on Thursday.

“I don’t have words to thank Maradona. I’m dying to be there on the inside,” Ruggeri told Buenos Aires-based radio station La Red.

He said he wouldn’t back down from the heated dispute, confident he would be able to convince Grondona he’s the right man for the job. But Ruggeri said his pending appointment would be decided after Maradona returns from Scotland.

“Diego has to be able to work calmly, so things go well in Scotland and so the players begin to understand his message. There will be time to speak with him later,” said Ruggeri, a former coach for San Lorenzo and Independiente, and Mexican club America.

Alejandro Mancuso and Miguel Angel Lemme were confirmed on Thursday as Maradona’s assistants for the friendly against Scotland.

Argentina’s next match will be in February against France, followed by a World Cup qualifier against Venezuela in March.

Associated Press writer Debora Rey contributed to this report.

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Maradona is the worst coach ever.

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