In one of the most intriguing developments to hit the soccer world in years, Argentine legend Diego Maradona is set to become head coach of Argentina’s national team.
Yes, wow.
Maradona would take over for Alfio Basile, who stepped down after Argentina’s World Cup qualifying loss to Chile on Oct. 16. And if you are wondering, Maradona doesn’t have much coaching experience to speak of and certainly nothing close to national team coaching experience.
What’s my take? I think he’s a brilliant mind who is also very capable of having a meltdown. He will either flourish and become a great manager or will go down in flames. There won’t be any in-between with Diego Maradona. Argentina better hope it’s the former.
What do you think of this crazy turn of events? Think Maradona can spin some magic and bring the best out of Argentina’s supremely talented team? Think Maradona is doomed to fail and will be out of the job before next summer?
Share your thoughts on the news in the comments section below.
Jonathan
You are 100% right. I hate people who throw away their god given talents, step all over the rules and laws the rest of us most uphold and then get put up on a pedestal and get rewarded for it.
Yep- I’m a real menace to society
Tom P is a “h8er”. Just accept the fact there are countries out there where 3rd tier players would be superstars and “saviors” in some countries.
Did somebody compare Maradona to Einstein and Galileo? Seriously?
Roberto- if you weren’t so stereotypical it would be fun to take you under the bus for being such an idiot.
Get some therapy OR join a positive self esteem class or better yet just disappear under a rock.
People on this board have tried to appease you, understand you and in some cases please you because they are afraid of being politically incorrect.
I call you out for what you are – a over sensitive person of Latin origin with very thin skin and an inability of being rational because of that sad fact.
Piss off because nothing I wrote wasn’t 100% correct and factual for anyone who has lived in South America which I have for 15 of the last 20 years.
MARADONNA IS A FAT PIG WHO WOULD OF MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE BY OVER DOSING THE DAY HE GOT KICKED OUT OF THE 1994 WC.
mark …you are absolutely right, he has to prove it. I just didn’t like that other disrespectful posters out there who are talking BS about the way things are in Argentina. We all have out domestic problems and this is a football only topic, nor personal, not about the past. I have my doubts too but we’ ll never find out if we don’t even try… Argentina and many other countries have had way too many proper & overeducated coaches that have given us nothing but boring loosing football… I’m ready for a change and hope it will be “revolutionary”
if not there’s other coaches, no big drama
Roberto, I think everyone agrees Maradona is a starter in the All-Time Best XI. Not much room for argument there. Maybe it’s because you grew up with him as a hero and most who post did not, but I, and most posters, just don’t see how having him become coach for your Nats is a good thing with his past history outside of soccer. It’s rare in any sport that a superstar player, and I’m talking superstar, not just a good player, ever makes a good coach. Add to that Maradona’s self destructive behavior, and that the fact he has little coaching experience, and it becomes a head scratcher.
I’m a fairly optimistic guy, so hopefully we’re all wrong and he’s turned over a new leaf. But until he puts up some wins and shows he’s turned a corner, count me amongst the doubters.
tom p you are a moron too.. Don’t talk about arrogance cause we can get into a big debate about that.. Face to face. Keep your comments limited to football or stay out and don’t talk about things u don’t know about, have a little respect for other countries
Ives; please remove this discussion and don’t let anyone give their opinion they are mostly jealous folks who will never enjoy having a player of that level in their natl team.. Because you know what everybody rich& poor in Argentina love him as a player and will forgive anything!!! Geniuses are like that… On another level right?
beatles miles davis
john coltrane
muhamad ali
Einstein
Galileo
maradona etc.you don’t question them… They’re untouchable
NJ guy, quoting one of the best sports movies of all time is not showing your age….it shows you know your movies, thats all.
Finally……a soccer Federation that is a bigger joke than the USSF. Glory be!!!!!!!
Tom P – Glad someone got that – just showing my age
Maradona is a clown.
NJ Guy No Longer Stuck in DC –
very,very funny and creative post. You should be proud of that one.
He’s Never coached before BUT He did do some blow at Holiday Inn last night!
SIMPLY WOW!
I wonder what dirt he has on the AFA?
Sayerville–you nailed it.
Look, we have NO CLUE how he will be. He could surprise us. I just have no data to convince me he can coach! Or that he is reliable! Maybe he will change. People can. But he is bucking a LOT of history and I have not seen (and I could be ignorant of it) anything that approaches a ‘changed man.” To be steeped in all the crap he has been (not talking about his brilliant playing)–addictions, evasion, etc–you just don’t usually just wake up and stop those habits.
Klinsmann is not a good analogy–not because, according to another poster, he has not proven himself in qualifying–but because Maradona has a sketchy character, whereas Klinsmann has always been consistent.
I’ll echo the sentiments of most posters. Don’t like the move. He was an amazing player, but as a coach he doesn’t seem to have the drive to be a success with all of his other pastimes that people have mentioned. Maybe it works out, but I just don’t see it.
The moral of this story…?
Lead a crappy life, evade paying your taxes while making millions, live like an oligarch in Castro’s Cuba while the general population lives on less than a dollar a week, throw away your god given gifts on booze, drugs and gluttony and in that Europhile, snobby, arrogant, look down on your fellow South American countries of Argentina you will be treated as a national hero and rewarded with the most important sporting job in the country.
I am sure there are some rational minded Argentines that are just sick to their stomachs with embarrassment today.
Yeah, this is a step backward for Argentina. Diego is a mess.
Now I have a reason to hate Argentina. The man is a disgusting pig. Plus he is friends with Hugo Chavez. I guess he is actually a Communist Pig. Go Brazil!
About as brilliant as appointing Bob Bradley. I’ll bet money on it.
I like Diego but he’ll probably end up like Stoichkov and Hagi–a wonderfully talented player who can’t understand or coach the average ones. But, on inspiration alone, maybe he gets a few W’s for the albiceleste.
File this under “I’ll thrilled it’s happening, and glad it’s not my team.”
This just in from Headline News … Darryl Strawberry has been named head coach of the US National Team
this is akin to putting Lawrence Taylor in charge of the NFL.
crackheads, reformed or otherwise, aren’t known for good strategic thinking.
“OK Boys, Shooter I mean Maradona is going to coach the rest of the way. He’ll bring you home.”
Television ratings and therefore revenue just went WAY up for upcoming Argentina games. Perhaps that’s the brilliance behind this decision….?
Roberto wrote:
” It just bothers me that a lot of people in here really hate diego and judge him.”
But, if we like him, as you seem to do, aren’t we also judging him? We’re just coming to a different conclusion as judges.
Look, no one is denying he was a great player or knows the game. But it also can’t be denied that off the field he’s been a total f**k-up.
From the myriad cocaine issues to not paying his taxes (and not a little tax money – something like $40 million) to the battles with obesity to the kids out of wedlock and denying paternity, it ain’t exactly the kind of background that implies he’s grounded enough to make good decisions under pressure or has good character.
Then there’s the fact that he doesn’t have ANY coaching experience.
Combine Maradona’s sketchy character with his lack of coaching experience and it’s not hating to think this is a questionable, to be polite, coaching move.
I hope that He is able to get Argentina to the WC but he is more likely to fall off the wagon and ending up with drug problems again.
loved Blakes thing that Kenny Cooper should be the new US coach.
Headline should be:
“Maradona set to coach Agrentina. Ooops! Maradona just fired.”