Yes, him. As everyone will now surely be aware, Diego Armando Maradona has been named as the new manager of the senior Argentine national football team. For those few who’ve not heard of him: Maradona is a deeply unsuccessful manager who has been in charge of Deportivo Mandiyú (today reformed as Textil Mandiyú) and Racing Club. His managerial record reads: played 23; won 3; drawn 12; lost 8. Oh: 1986 World Cup-winning manager Carlos Bilardo has been appointed as ‘general manager’, but will have no say whatsoever – honest – over tactics, formation, player selection or anything else. Honest.
A new era begins.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 
I’m impressed by the lack of swearing in your reaction. Mine was not so restrained.
This should be interesting.
Of course, Linda, I never swear.
Not on HEGS anyway. It’s a wholesome family website after all.
I have to say I don’t share your negative feelings about Diego’s appointment.
Granted he didn’t have a successful managerial career so far, but Mandiyú were a really troubled team when he took over (and Diego was more troubled than Mandiyú back then).
Granted he went to Racing and the woes continued (even though I remember his team pretty well and he did make them play an attractive, offensive style and was really unlucky at times). His problems at Racing came when he lined up behind the mean mean mean Juan Destéfano and after the elections both had to leave through the window).
Now this time around Diego is in a different state of mind. He seems to be winning his battle against his many demons and I, for one, am thrilled for him to have a new shot at glory.
Yes, it can all go bananas. I know. But there were no guarantees it wouldn’t go bananas with Batista, Bianchi or Russo.
Diego really knows his football and he can (better than anybody else in this world) make our players understand what it really means to wear the Albiceleste.
Maradona has my full support (I would have offer the same to any of the other candidates).
I guess there’s always 2014.
What I’m predicting is an immediate boost in morale followed by everything going to hell, similar to what happened to Hugo Sanchez in Mexico.
As a player there was none better than Diego, but I really can’t see him being a successful manager, even with experience. This news makes me sick.
Although he was the BEST player around, his brains just don’t seem to have the same abilities as his feet. Blame it on the alcohol or the drugs, but he just doesn’t have the brains, plus were’s the proof that he’s clean? I reaaally don’t think that a guy who has to be held down so that he doesn’t fall from the ballcony in the stadium by his 18 year old daughter is the best option we have. The other options, while they may not end up winning, give the players AND the fans a lot more of tranquility, wich would show in the pitch. Plus, saddly, the guy isn’t respected by the players, not as a manager. I can really picture Messi swearing his face off when he learned about this, given that he’s sick and tired of Maradonas comments about him, and now having him on top of him will be too much for the guy. Plus his little son in law won’t ever leave the pitch (not that I want him too, he’s great, but there’s always a first time, or there should be, but with “him” on top that won’t happen)
This could only happpen in Argentina. Madness!!!
I hope I will be wrong, but this is a DISASTER! Maradona is my idol as a football player, but he can not manage even his life, less the life of the others, or make decisions that wont be cool when you work as a trainer. Besides, he can not have a “regular” life, he is always with bad companies…a trainer must show seriousness inside and outside the football field. So…lets begin the show
Maik, you seem to see the future very clearly!
Look at your message and see how many things you predicted.
What about Messi saying that his mother’s wish was for him to be coached by Diego? He did say that!
You’re saying Diego has no brains? He was the most intelligent player ever! He knew what to do in every situation (on the pitch) and he was always one play ahead of everyone else.
You listen to the man talking about football and you clearly notice he knows.
Proof of him being recovered? Well…an recovered addict will spend the rest of his life getting over it. A lot of ex-alcoholics or ex-drug addicts will tell you that. It’s an eternal battle for them.
What I can tell you is that Diego has been training and taking his role as a Showbol player (kind of an indoor 5-a-side football league that involves national teams from Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay and others, formed by retired players). He took that responsibility and he showed his commitment to the cause.
He is making sense when he speaks and he is showing he is in a different state of mind.
Most importantly is that he won’t be facing this challenge on his own. He’ll have a capable staff behind him and will have the support that comes with Bilardo’s experience and will probably have Batista and Brown working with him. That’ll give him a very valuable help.
He is a players’ manager. Players will love to play for him. You are talking about the player they have worshiped their entire lives and they will listen to him and will receive the right motivation.
Give him a break and enjoy the ride. It will surely be a fun one!
It’s nowhere near as bad as everyone thinks.
The only thing that Diego said he would have full control of is player selection, everything else will be with advise from his team.
This is the start of a new era, we should start it with optimism. I agree with you totally Seba.
Maradona does not have in betweens, he either will be a tremendous success or a terrible failure. I loved the player, and honestly thought positively of his appointment, until I remembered him saying publicly that players like Heinze, Riquelme and Veron have a spot in his team…Jesus Christ, it sounds like a bloody assylum or some kind of retirement village….
I hate to say this, but this could only happen in Argentina. As an outsider looking in, the country does tend to look back rather than forward. Appointing Diego to me is like re-electing Peron, nearly re-electing Menem and to some extent voting in Mrs Kirschner.
At least Diego will be always be forgiven if it does go all wrong.
I invite you to read the latest quotes from Maradona (after he spoke to some Argentine journalist this afternoon).
Click on my name up here and visit Mundo Albiceleste.
I’m feeling positive about Dieguito!
Thanks for the tip-off Seba, since I have the power, here’s a link straight to your MA story for everyone.
http://mundoalbiceleste.blogspot.com/2008/10/maradona-i-will-honour-our-deal-with.html
I’ll only say this: his knowledge about football has nothing to do with his personal life’s decissions. And trying to compare football with Argentinian politics isn’t good at all: I say it as argentinian