Maradona 'can win World Cup again'

Published on Sunday 9 November 2008 20:14

FOUR years after feeling certain he was about to attend Diego Maradona's funeral, Osvaldo Ardiles believes his friend is now destined to lead Argentina to World Cup triumph in 2010.

If reaction to Maradona's appointment as his national team's new coach has been mixed in his homeland, it has been embraced with complete enthusiasm by Ardiles who will make the journey to Glasgow next week for his former team-mate's first match in charge against Scotland at Hampden.

Ardiles is convinced the most compelling figure in world football will prove the sceptics wrong by writing another remarkable chapter in a life story which almost came to an end when Maradona was admitted to intensive care at his lowest ebb in 2004.

"Diego is very, very lucky to be alive right now," said Ardiles. "How he survived the incidents with his health a few years ago is incredible. Many people are surprised that he's still alive.

"He's been under a lot of pressure in his life and right now the pressure will spur him on to do better things. Maybe it is destiny for 2010. Personally, I'm very confident. I was not surprised he became the coach. Diego was one of the top calls in my opinion. I obviously understand all the negative publicity surrounding Diego's life and what people are saying about him now, but for me this is the right choice.

"The first thing to say is that Argentina is one of the most talented teams in world football, but they have lost their way a little bit in the last three games. Of course they will qualify for the World Cup finals, but the test is to win in South Africa.

"It's Maradona's job to give the team confidence and I believe he will be inspirational for Argentina. This is exactly what the team needs because we have a lot of young players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Javier Mascherano. It will be a great, great thing for them to work with Diego.

"For Diego, it would be amazing to win the World Cup and for the team the aim is to reach for the sky. It could be Diego's destiny to win the World Cup as a coach."

Only Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer, with Brazil and West Germany respectively, have won the World Cup with their countries as both player and coach. If Maradona is to join that select band, he will need to prove his two brief and unsuccessful spells in club coaching with Mandiyu and Racing Club were unreliable indicators of his ability to transfer his brilliance on the field into the technical area.

"It's true his record as a coach is quite bad," added Ardiles, "but I get the feeling managing Argentina is a completely different type of job for him.

"It's not a day-to-day type of job that Alex Ferguson or Harry Redknapp does. As a national manager you don't have the players all of the time and it's more a question of trying to select the right players and inspire them to reach heights.

"That's what makes me think Diego is the best man for the job. People like Messi weren't even born when Diego was at his height, but they will consider it an extra honour to play under him.

"Diego will be very determined to get off to a winning start against Scotland. He's had a lot of criticism internationally since he took this job but what has hurt him more is the criticism he's had in Argentina.

"For that reason it's a vital game against Scotland and he has to start to prove his critics wrong. He's had to do that all his career so he will be pretty happy to do it again as a coach."

Ardiles played in the 1-1 draw between Argentina and Scotland in Buenos Aries in 1977, but missed the return friendly at Hampden two years later when Maradona, winning the ninth of his 91 caps, scored his first goal for his country.

"I missed the game in '79 because I had to go to Saudi Arabia with Tottenham for an end of season trip," said Ardiles, "but everyone in Argentina remembers it because of Diego's goal. It is something for the history books that he is now coming back to Hampden for his first game as coach.

"I think it will be very emotional for him and it's a massive game now because of all the hullabaloo surrounding his appointment. I'm looking forward to the game and I'm sure he will get a great welcome from the Scottish fans.

"I know he is a hero in Scotland because of what he did against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final. It's strange that they celebrate his first goal more than his second one in that game."

The 'Hand of God' incident to which Ardiles refers remains an open sore as far as one member of the Scotland set-up is concerned, however, and it is unlikely Maradona will be greeted warmly at Hampden by Terry Butcher. The former England captain, now assistant to Scotland manager George Burley, has never forgiven Maradona for the handball goal but Ardiles has little sympathy for that view.

"Everyone admires what Diego did as a player, but for the English players it is difficult to take what happened with the 'Hand of God'," he continued. "But what Diego did was no different to what Joe Jordan did when he handled the ball playing for Scotland against Wales in 1977. In football, you do everything you can to win a game and it's up to the referee to decide what is right or wrong. So I think it's a little bit of sour grapes from the English players.

"In 1986, especially with the second goal against England, Diego was something completely out of this world. From my point of view, I have other special memories of playing alongside him before then. Being in the same team as him was like being in football heaven."

Now 56, Ardiles has been out of work since being sacked by Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno in August but the former Tottenham player and manager is keen to continue his chequered coaching career.

He came close to working in Scotland in 1999 when he was approached by Aberdeen before the Pittodrie club appointed Ebbe Skovdahl as manager.

"I was close to getting the Aberdeen job," he said, "but I had already agreed to another offer I had from Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. I have been coaching all around the world, but right now I'm not working. I'm open to offers and it would be a pleasure to manage in Scotland at some time."