Maradona's China visit fuels coaching rumors
Source: Agencies |
November 10, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Diego Maradona rumor mill flipped into overdrive this week as the Argentine football great toured China on a charity trip.
Although in the country at the invitation of the Red Cross Society of China, bringing Argentine players for exhibition games, Maradona's visit sparked speculation that he was about to become head coach of the country's national team or a local club.
Maradona did not exactly kill off the rumors, telling the popular website Sina.com that Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua had not contacted him, but he would be willing to meet.
Spanish-language news agency, EFE, reported that Maradona would be open to the idea of coaching the national team, but Maradona's spokeswoman in China, Tang Qinghui, said his visit was focused only on charity work.
"Maradona definitely has not met with any Chinese football clubs during this trip to talk about any offers or related matters," Tang said.
During his visit, which ends tomorrow, Maradona expressed his bewilderment to China's lack of football talent. "In a country of 1.3 billion people, why isn't there high-level national team," he asked Chinese reporters.
The country's notoriously scandal-plagued football federation has been riddled with violence, bribery and matchfixing, obstacles that had choked player development and kept the national team mired at 89 in the world rankings. China lost to Japan 0-3 in the Asian Games group game on Monday.
Maradona has been out of coaching since taking Argentina to the quarterfinals of this year's World Cup in South Africa, ending a rocky spell in charge of the national team.
He was also been rumored to be in line for the Iran national team job after Iranian football officials invited him. When Maradona was asked about a possible offer from Iran, Tang said he "didn't say anything and just smiled."
Although in the country at the invitation of the Red Cross Society of China, bringing Argentine players for exhibition games, Maradona's visit sparked speculation that he was about to become head coach of the country's national team or a local club.
Maradona did not exactly kill off the rumors, telling the popular website Sina.com that Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua had not contacted him, but he would be willing to meet.
Spanish-language news agency, EFE, reported that Maradona would be open to the idea of coaching the national team, but Maradona's spokeswoman in China, Tang Qinghui, said his visit was focused only on charity work.
"Maradona definitely has not met with any Chinese football clubs during this trip to talk about any offers or related matters," Tang said.
During his visit, which ends tomorrow, Maradona expressed his bewilderment to China's lack of football talent. "In a country of 1.3 billion people, why isn't there high-level national team," he asked Chinese reporters.
The country's notoriously scandal-plagued football federation has been riddled with violence, bribery and matchfixing, obstacles that had choked player development and kept the national team mired at 89 in the world rankings. China lost to Japan 0-3 in the Asian Games group game on Monday.
Maradona has been out of coaching since taking Argentina to the quarterfinals of this year's World Cup in South Africa, ending a rocky spell in charge of the national team.
He was also been rumored to be in line for the Iran national team job after Iranian football officials invited him. When Maradona was asked about a possible offer from Iran, Tang said he "didn't say anything and just smiled."
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