Maradona says he'll coach Argentina on his terms
Diego Maradona will stay on as coach of Argentina if he's able to keep his entire staff.Maradona is due to meet with Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona and laid out his conditions ahead of then.
"If they touch the kit man, if they touch the massage therapist, I'm out," Maradona said today. "I want to continue with the coaching staff, plus some others, and that nobody touches any of them.
"I'll have a chat with Grondona this week, and this week it will be resolved whether I continue or not. It depends on what Grondona says and whether he accepts what I ask for. I'm eager because I've spoken with the players, with all the guys, and I have their support."
It is not known if Maradona would seek to renew his contract through to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The football great, who captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title was speaking to America TV today upon arrival from Caracas, where he visited Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Asked if he had analyzed the video of Argentina's 4-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals, Maradona said: "I haven't seen it and I won't see it."
Maradona said he had spoken by phone with Grondona since that defeat, which left the nation so dismayed and disappointed that no official ceremonies were held to welcome the team back.
Argentina President Cristina Fernandez has publicly supported Maradona, and a legislator has proposed building a monument to honour him. But many Argentines want him out, blaming his lack of coaching experience for failing to make the most of a team that included many of the world's best players, including Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
