DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Diego Maradona pledged Monday to coach of the club of the United Arab Emirates United Al Wasl, marking the return of the Argentine great for coaches since leading his country to the quarterfinals of the World Cup last year.
He signed a two year contract and will be in charge at the opening of the season next September. He joined a team from fourth place to boost its prospects, attract more sponsors and fans and "set unprecedented standards."
Al Wasl officials would not disclose the financial terms of contract, but said Maradona would be responsible for leading the club to "new heights."
Diego Maradona has visited Al Wasl Saturday Training Centre and is in talks for several days.The 50-year-old Maradona visited training camp Saturday in the club and had been in talks with the team for several days. Wearing a shirt polo, shorts and baseball cap, the tattooed Maradona blew kisses to the fans that he assaulted and chanted his name while he was watching the team practice.
He did not speak to journalists and the club said that he left Sunday for the Spain attend the birthday party of his daughter in Madrid. It should return to Dubai next month.
"Al Wasl Sports Club has become synonymous with achievements of this caliber, and we are very pleased to welcome Maradona from a long line of awards, in the history of the club," vice chairman Marwan Bin Bayat said in a statement. "This partnership embodies the vision of the club as it embraces the development of forward thinking in the region to establish standards for sport unprecedented."
Since the defeat of the use of the Argentina last year, Maradona has been linked to several vacant positions of coaching the national team of the Iran and English clubs Fulham and Blackburn.
Al Wasl, whose season ends next month, has been seeking a coach since Sergio Farias of shooting in March. The four best teams in the League qualify for the next season of the Asian Champions League.
The sports club, which includes the football team, is chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a brother of the ruler of Dubai. Al Wasl is regarded as one of the top of Dubai clubs, but nothing has not won since 2007. That same year, he won the title of the League of the United Emirates Arab former, which included primarily amateur clubs and the UAE Presidents Cup Arab. The League turned fully professional three years ago.
Carlo Nohra, Director General of the League, called the hiring of Maradona "good news" a 12-team League which saw its attendance this year of 30 per cent.
"Maradona football credentials speak for themselves, and while it is too early for us to decide what means this appointment for the League or the club, its profile and popularity brought no doubt the focus to the League"which is like a positive thing "Nohra said."
Last year, the club of Dubai Al Ahli signed and subsequently fired former Leeds and Aston Villa Manager David O'Leary. He also signed former Juventus captain Fabio Cannavaro, remaining with the club, but he is injured.
Maradona was Captain when the Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, to the Mexico but a ballooning size later slowed his explosive speed and he retired in 1997.
Before taking as coach of the Argentina in 2008, he had produced only Deportivo Mandiyu in 1994 and the Racing Club in 1995. In both cases, he left before his contract is up.
Under Maradona, the Argentina results were mixed, with two of its worst losses - a rout of 6-1 by the Bolivia in the World Cup qualification and loss quarter-final 4-0 in Germany during the tournament in South Africa.
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