Maradona: 'I am willing to be an unpaid coach for the Argentina team'
The Argentine football legend said he was sad to see his team eliminated early from the 2018 World Cup.
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Maradona was in Russia to watch all of Argentina's matches at the 2018 World Cup. Photo:Reuters. |
Argentina was one of the most disappointing teams in the 2018 World Cup. In the group stage, the team from the land of tango was held to a 1-1 draw by Iceland, lost 0-3 to Croatia and only advanced thanks to a lucky 2-1 win over Nigeria. Witnessing the team's poor performance, Maradona said he felt very sad and was ready to return to lead Argentina without receiving a salary.
"Yes, I am willing to coach the national team for free. I do not ask for anything in return," Maradona shared on a Venezuelan television program. "People think I will be happy but my heart is really hurt. I feel very sad that everything we built with so much effort was destroyed so easily," the 57-year-old former player added.
Maradona led Argentina to the 2010 World Cup. At that time, the team reached the quarter-finals and lost to Germany 0-4. Current Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli still has a contract until 2022. However, with Argentina's disappointing performance at the 2018 World Cup, this strategist is likely to be terminated early.
Maradona was in Russia to watch all of Argentina's matches at the 2018 World Cup. The 57-year-old legend was constantly in the headlines with unflattering images such as "raising the middle finger to celebrate", cuddling, showing excessive affection for his girlfriend in the stands...
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Maradona kisses his girlfriend while sitting next to Ro Beo in the stands. |
