Odds on Maradona to Stay with Argentina until 2014

Julio Grondona the Argentine Football Association president is going to meet with Maradona next week to try and persuade him to extend his contract and coach the team into the next World Cup.

Diego Maradona has been offered a new contract with Argentina which will see him managing the team until 2014 when the World Cup goes to Brazil. This year he took Argentina to the quarter finals at the World Cup in South Africa and the new contract would see him coaching the team if they were to qualify for the next World Cup.

Maradona is set to meet with the Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona next week. After Argentina’s 4 – 0 defeat to Germany Maradona hinted that he would be leaving the position of coach. The talks are expected to take place no later than Wednesday of next week.

Despite being the captain of the 1986 Argentinean team which won the World Cup his appointment to position of coach in 2008 was full of controversy. He has had little coaching experience and suffered from a number of personal problems after retiring. Nonetheless Maradona’s side succeeded in reaching the World Cup finals after a late goal in their qualification match against Uruguay.

During the World Cup finals Argentina looked like a side with a chance of winning the tournament, they easily won their first three group matches and their last 16 match against Mexico. However, the highly organised German side managed to hold off all of Argentina’s attacking talent which includes Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain and Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez.

Straight after the match Maradona said, “I may leave tomorrow” however, he went on to say, "We will see what happens. I haven't thought about leaving. I have to check that with my family and the players and there are things I have to consider."