MARADONA OUT AS ARGENTINA SOCCER COACH

Diego Maradona is out as Argentina’s national soccer coach, walking away from the job in a power struggle over the fate of his staff.  The Argentina Football Association (AFA) had offered Maradona a new four year contract on the condition that he replace his entire staff.  Maradona stood firm, stressing that he’d only return if his staff was retained.  When that major difference in position couldn’t be resolved, the AFA declined to renew his deal under Maradona’s conditions and just like that the Argentina soccer legend was out.
 
 Maradona is a soccer icon in Argentina, and was crucial in the country’s 1986 World Cup victory.  Since that pinnacle, his life has had a number of ‘ups and downs’.  In 1991, Maradona was suspended by FIFA for over a year after failing a drug test—not for steroids, but for cocaine.  In 1994, he failed another drug test and was sent home after testing positive for the stimulant ephedrine.
 
After he retired, things become even direr for Maradona and he’s battled at various points a cocaine addiction, alcoholism and weight gain.  He’s reportedly tamed his chemical demons, though despite a stomach stapling operation in 2004 his weight is still an issue.  He’s also suffered a heart attack, liver damage and had to have facial surgery in 2007 after his dog bit him in the face.

Things didn’t get off to a good start once he took the reins as Argentina’s coach.  Criticisms have ranged from ‘a lack of organizational skills’ to an inability to forge a team into a cohesive unit.  Others have complained that Maradona’s system is a bad fit for his superstar Lionel Messi and does little to facilitate his prodigious offensive playmaking skills.  He earned some respect with Argentina’s run to the World Cup semifinals this year, receiving high marks for his leadership and team chemistry while his lack of coaching experience remained a liability.

AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo had this statement:

"There was a big chasm that made it impossible to find an agreement. We will not renew the contract. For the match against Spain, scheduled for September 7, we may already have the new coach.”

"It is difficult to agree. The hardest difference to agree on was changing some of Diego's staff. Nobody has been sacked. A contract has not been extended because the conditions were not the suitable. When you cannot agree with somebody you love, you are not happy at all. I always want to talk to him, but sometimes it is difficult because this is not the best moment.''

While there’s always a chance that this situation could get worked out behind the scenes to facilitate Maradona’s return, the AFA is starting the search for a new coach.  Don’t be surprised if the reaction of the Argentinean public shapes the response to this situation—if there’s an outpouring of support for Maradona you may see a solution that would allow him to return.