Maradona should coach Argentina, says Pekerman

Diego Maradona should one day become Argentina's coach, according to the man in charge of his country's World Cup team.

"Diego Maradona should be the coach of Argentina," Jose Pekerman told the Argentine state news agency Telam in an interview published on Tuesday.

"I'm convinced he has to decide what he wants to do but it's a situation that has to come about," said Pekerman, who refers to Maradona as his "greatest idol."

"I don't know what will happen afterwards," he added, in reference to next year's World Cup. Maradona, Argentina's greatest player and captain of their 1986 World Cup-winning team, almost joined the coaching staff last month.

He pulled out at the last minute days before Argentina's friendly match against England in Geneva without publicizing his reasons.

Argentine Football Association President Julio Grondona has repeatedly said the doors to the Argentine national team are permanently open to Maradona in any capacity.

Argentina will be ready

Argentina are aware of the strengths of their World Cup Group C rivals but will be ready to have a good tournament, Pekerman said.

Pekerman's seeded team were drawn in one of the toughest groups with the Netherlands, Serbia and Montenegro, and Ivory Coast for the June 9 to July 9 tournament in Germany.

"The team will be in good shape when they get to the World Cup. We have a very good team, and I'm sure we'll have a great World Cup," Pekerman told the Argentine news agency Telam in an interview published on Tuesday.

"You have to go to the World Cup in your best form. We Argentines are affected by our elimination in the first round of Korea-Japan," he said referring to the 2002 tournament.

Pekerman implied that talk about how tough Argentina's group rivals are has been based largely on their poor tournament four years ago in an even tougher group with England, Sweden and Nigeria and their erratic form in the last six months.

"But if the team were okay (now), like for example in the first half at home against Brazil, we wouldn't even worry today about our rivals," he said. Argentina beat Brazil 3-1 in Buenos Aires in June to clinch an early World Cup berth.

"Brazil are the best team at the moment for the way they play. I like their players, their ideas, their football... and England are getting there with greater aspirations than 2002. Position by position, they are complete and will do very well."

Pekerman is leaving himself with little further preparation, however, saying: "There are six months left for the World Cup, but we're only going to play one friendly (warm-up), maybe against Croatia.

"In other words, the state in which the players get there will depend on what they do with their clubs."

He said he had never called up Juan Sebastian Veron of Inter Milan, Argentina's captain in 2002 when he was a Manchester United player, because "up to now there is a squad that has responded (to my wishes)."

Source: China Daily