Argentina coach Diego Maradona hinted he may resign as he returned home following his side’s FIFA World Cup™ elimination, according to a report from Argentine cable channel Cronica TV.

“That’s it, my cycle has finished,” Maradona reportedly said as he arrived at his home here on Sunday evening. “I gave all I had.” The day before, the captain of Argentina’s 1986 FIFA World Cup-winning side said: “I haven’t decided about my future yet. I have to talk to my family, the players and the federation. It depends on lots of things.”

Luis Segura, president of Maradona’s formative club Argentinos Juniors and a close friend of Argentine Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona, said that it was up to Maradona to decide on his future.

“The person who’ll have to decide if he continues or not is Maradona,” Segura told TyC sports channel. “It depends on him. But Grondona has never interrupted a [national team coach's] contract and if Diego decides to continue, he’ll continue. I think he should see out his contract, which expires after next year’s Copa America in Argentina.”

Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favourites, were knocked out of the FIFA World Cup after losing 4-0 to Germany in the quarter-finals but were greeted by 10,000 cheering fans when they retured to the country on Sunday.

Argentina coach Diego Maradona admitted on Saturday that he is concerned by the threat posed by Mexico’s attacking players ahead of Sunday’s second round clash.

Argentina qualified for the last 16 by winning all three of their group games while Mexico’s progress was more erratic, drawing with hosts South Africa, losing to Uruguay but beating France 2-0 in a stunning performance.

And it is the prospect of a repeat of that swashbuckling attacking display that has Maradona biting his nails.

“Mexico have Rafael Marquez, (Andres) Guardado, Giovanni Dos Santos, many players that worry us,” said Maradona. “It’s impossible to know what team they will play. Yesterday I had some information that it will be one team then this morning other information that it would be another.

“I don’t know if (Cuauhtemoc) Blanco will play, or (Guillermo) Franco, although I hope he doesn’t because he’s good in the air.  I think (Javier) Hernandez will play, he moves well all across the front line. I think Marquez will play at sweeper because he looked lost in midfield. But these are just my ideas. We know it will be a tough match but with the team and players we have, we can move forward.”

Maradona also spoke of his admiration for Mexico coach Javier Aguirre, the former boss of Atletico Madrid who is in his second stint at the national team helm.

“I respect him a lot, we spoke at length with Kun (Sergio Aguero) and Maxi (Rodriguez, both of whom played under Aguirre at Atletico),” said Maradona.

“This gentleman has had a great career, he’s a great coach and he’s brought Mexico into the second round. They struggled to reach the Round of 16 and made great sacrifices and it’s fair to say they have not been as impressive as ourselves as we had a tougher group to negotiate. But it’s a matter of respect, we’re going to respect Mexico and they should respect us, they should be aware that Argentina has a great history.”

The 49-year-old also had a pop at his critics back home in Argentina for not having faith in his methods during a troublesome qualifying campaign in which they suffered a record-equalling 6-1 defeat to minnows Bolivia and only secured their passage to South Africa in their final match.

“We’re in great shape, of course there’s always few small things to solve within the group but it’s not easy to go from being nobodies in your country and then going on to win three (World Cup) matches and keeping your concentration,” he said.

“People said we were a disaster, the worst team they’d ever seen, now they’re saying we’re an excellent team. We have the same players so you shouldn’t believe everything you hear. I’m just going to go on doing what I want with the same thoughts and ideas as before and to continue to work as I have been.

“I keep saying the others are favourites and we’re here to fight, but now this is a fight for history because when the roads become short and narrow, this is where history really begins.”

Argentina coach Diego Maradona was keen to play down the growing expectations surrounding his in-form side, insisting Brazil are still his favourites to walk off with the FIFA World Cup™.

Despite boasting a glittering array of attacking talent, there were question marks hanging over Argentina heading into the tournament following a rocky qualifying campaign. However, Maradona’s side have undoubtedly been one of the most impressive sides in South Africa so far after picking up back-to-back wins over Nigeria (1-0) and Korea Republic (4-1).

That has left Argentina three points clear at the top of Group B heading into this evening’s clash with Greece in Polokwane, when just a point will be enough to guarantee them a spot in the last 16. With many of the other supposed top sides struggling so far, Argentina’s chances of lifting the FIFA World Cup for a third time appear to be rising, but Maradona insists he does not want his to be saddled with the favourites’ tag.

“We aren’t either candidates or favourites, we’re here to play a World Cup,” he said. “I don’t want to be favourites, not before coming to South Africa and not now. All the teams here can score against you, so you have to be wary all the time. We just want to be the same as normal. We’re here to keep our fans happy, to play the way we want to play, and I think things so far are going well. Brazil can play badly but still win games, that’s why they are still the great favourites.”

Although his side are not yet assured of a place in the knockout stages, Maradona looks set to ring the changes for tonight’s game. Jonas Gutierrez is suspended while captain Javier Mascherano and Gabriel Heinze could both be among those rested as they are one booking away from a ban. Meanwhile, veteran playmaker Juan Sebastian Veron could return after missing the game against South Korea with a calf problem.

One player Maradona has assured will feature though is star playmaker Lionel Messi. The coach added: “He will play. If you have a player as good as Leo, who is the best player in the world, I think it would be a sin not to give Messi to the people, to the team, and leave out the player who can certainly make the difference in a match.”

Greece have a chance to create another piece of footballing history for their country as, if they better Korea Republic’s result against point-less Nigeria, they will progress to the knockout stage. The surprise 2004 UEFA European champions won their first FIFA World Cup match at only their second tournament when they came from behind to beat Nigeria last week.

However, coach Otto Rehhagel said the squad was fully focused on tackling Argentina and not on what the future may hold. “First of all we will think about the match ahead of us. We will not talk about anything else,” said the veteran German boss. That is all we are interested in – I am not interested in anything else. We want to be physically and psychologically ready to go into this battle. But the players realise they have it all to play for and nothing to lose.”

Argentina coach Diego Maradona named a 23-man squad on Wednesday ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, dropping seven players from the provisional list named last week.

Colon defender Ariel Garce, 30, keeps his place despite having won just one cap for the national team in this month’s 4-0 World Cup warm-up win over Haiti.

The seven men cut from the provisional squad are Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini, Newell’s Old Boys defender Juan Manuel Insaurralde, Jose Sosa of Estudiantes, Olympiakos midfielder Jesus Datolo, Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lanus’ Sebastian Blanco and Juan Mercier of Argentinos Juniors.

Two-time champions Argentina were drawn alongside Nigeria, Euro 2004 champions Greece and 2002 semi-finalists Korea Republic in Group B and begin their campaign against the African side on 12 June in Johannesburg.

Argentina squad

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar/NED), Mariano Andujar (Catania/ITA), Diego Pozo (Colon)

Defenders: Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich/GER), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan/ITA), Gabriel Heinze (Marseille/FRA), Nicolas Burdisso (AS Roma/ITA), Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes), Ariel Garce (Colon)

Midfielders: Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle/ENG), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool/ENG), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool/ENG), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes), Angel Di Maria (Benfica/POR), Javier Pastore (Palermo/ITA), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina/ITA)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona/ESP), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid/ESP), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Diego Milito (Inter Milan/ITA), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City/ENG)

*Please note that squad lists only become official after they have been submitted to and announced by FIFA.

source : www.fifa.com

A veritable icon as a player, Diego Maradona has yet to inspire the same fervour as Argentina national coach after a laborious and controversial 2010 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying campaign. Argentina’s struggles to reach South Africa mean many fans are sceptical about his chances of leading the country to a third World Cup triumph.

Maradona, the inspirational captain of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning side, was named national boss in November 2008 after a disappointing start to the qualifying campaign brought Alfio Basile’s tenure as coach to an end. Fourteen years after he left the 1994 World Cup in disgrace following a positive drug test, Maradona returned to the Albiceleste with a two-pronged objective: take Argentina to the World Cup, and do it in style.

Over a year later, the first mission has been accomplished thanks to a 1-0 win over Uruguay on the last day of the qualification campaign, but not the second. “We have to think about improving. Everything and in every sector,” said veteran midfielder and Maradona favourite Juan Sebastian Veron. “We have to perform a deep analysis, as there are lots of things that didn’t work well.”

Criticism and controversy
Cesar Menotti, coach of the Argentina team that secured the country’s first World Cup in 1978, was forthright in his criticism, saying: “Argentina seemed to have no ideas, they’re confused and disorganised.” Menotti’s words echo those of the Argentine media, that, since a humiliating 6-1 defeat in Bolivia, have scorned Maradona for calling up over 100 players during his time in charge and meddling with his tactical systems.

The 49-year-old caught the headlines again when he required stitches after being bitten in the face by one of his dogs, but 2010 began in encouraging fashion on the pitch with an impressive 1-0 friendly win in Germany in March. “The most important conclusion is that the team appears to have a defined playing philosophy. Debatable, certainly, but defined,” said Argentine sporting daily Ole. Maradona had opted for “a defensive scheme based on pressing in many areas and individuality on the counter-attack,” remarked La Nacion.

It was a system that recalled the hard-working Argentina side that reached the 1990 World Cup final in Italy, where they lost 1-0 to West Germany. Optimistic observers were also quick to recall that criticism had plagued the national side prior to their departure for the 1986 World Cup, but that team included a certain Diego Maradona.

“[Lionel] Messi is my Maradona,” says Maradona himself, but the Barcelona genius and 2009 European Footballer of the Year has to date struggled to recapture his Barca form in a blue and white shirt. And the naysayers remain convinced that without an in-form Messi, Maradona will struggle to work miracles in South Africa.

source : www.fifa.com