6 Nov 2008

Confused and entertaining start for Maradona the coach

6:42 am on 6 November 2008

Diego Maradona's reign as coach of Argentina is got off to a confused but entertaining start.

Maradona, who makes his debut against Scotland in a friendly on November 19, ran into his first problem during the official presentation when he backtracked over the naming of his assistants.

The 48-year-old announced last week that former Argentina team mates Sergio Batista and Jose Luis Brown would take on the role but now says nothing's been decided.

Maradona has reportedly proposed that former defender Oscar Ruggeri and midfielder Alejandro Mancuso could work alongside him, a suggestion which has been widely questioned by the Argentine media and public.

Ruggeri, known during his playing days for his ruthless tackling, has had a particularly unfortunate series of coaching experiences after quitting early or being fired from four jobs.