“Many in Argentina feel it is better to have Diego inside the tent pissing out as opposed to outside the tent pissing in”- Tim Vickery
As he sets out to recapture past glories with Argentina Diego Maradona is already treading old ground and letting his heart rule his head, throwing the dummy from the pram if not quite pissing his pants just yet.
Threathening to resign after only ten days in the job, it’s very much ‘as you were’ in the perfect life of the icon. And it has been perfect, like that great storm,where by some freak of nature allows it, allows everything to come together all at once,where divine beauty sways with the forces of Lucifer, where epic contradictions dance in perfect harmony, with eachother.
After formally announcing Maradona as ’technical director’ Argentine FA president Julio Grondona said he had realised a life long dream “since 1979 I’v been looking forward to having Maradona as coach of the national team……Maradona marked a turning point in Argentine football”. Much like Newcastle’s re-appointment of Kevin Keegan, it is a lesson in nostalgia and nothing much to do with common sense.
No sooner was he appointed than he was calling ‘foul’ on Grondona for the promotion of national youth team coaches Jose Luis Brown and Sergio Batista (former team mates of number 10) to assistant coaches.Maradona had wanted Oscar Ruggeiri as his assistant,also a former team mate but one who had previously fallen out with Grondona. That Maradona vented his spleen about this so publicly is typical of an irrational man whose fragile nerves may yet spell disaster for any hopes the country may have of World Cup success . It was a first spat (of many one would presume) that had assistant manager Carlos Bilardo jostling in the isles restoring calm.
The power of the icon that is Diego Maradona has single handedly, as it were, elevated him to national team manager. His managerial career so far has been significant only in its failure, having managed two Argentine club sides in the mid nineties (Deportivo Madiyu and Racing Club), ammmasing a total of 23 games with only 3 wins. With both sides he left before his contract was up.
It would seem that many inside Argentina feel it is time to give Maradona his due and let him attempt to strengthen the legend, if only to see him on his way.
Everybody loves him yet as in all things Diego, nobody wants him.In a poll by Argentine daily La Nacion, out of 5000 surveyed only 10% said it was good that Maradona had got the job.You can be sure that there is much within the other 90% that loves the man dearly.
The man himself must be applauded for a resurrection from the gutter that saw , at its depths, a vigil held by thousands outside a Buenos Aires hospital in 2004.That he is in fact so human (a trait rare in a football culture awash with monosyllable, one trick ponies)makes him all the more likeable.
But it not about how likeable he may be, or about how great he once was, it is about Argentina getting results.As much as many hearts want him to do well, the collective head is telling them something altogether different.
