Does Anybody Want To Coach Argentina?

For a country that boasts the world's best player (Lionel Messi) and another one of the best goal-scorers on Earth (Carlos Tevez), Argentina sure knows how to burn through its national team coaches in record time.

By virtue of winning one game in the 2011 Copa America tournament (eventually won by Uruguay 3-0 over Paraguay yesterday), Sergio Batista was shown the door after only one year on the job.

Moving on from the bat shit crazy Diego Maradona was a logical decision but replacing him with basically a low-rent version did not work out at all.

Batista, who took over a year ago, was Argentina's fourth coach in five years and had the same problem as his predecessor Diego Maradona: little tactical experience and an inability to get superstars to play as a team rather than as individuals.

Alejandro Sabella, former coach of Argentine club Estudiantes, and Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino -- an Argentine -- are seen as the favorites to replace him. Also being mentioned as a successor is former Boca Juniors and Atletico de Madrid coach Carlos Bianchi.

Maybe it will take an outsider to help Argentina morph from a group of stars into a star-powered team. There's no reason why they can't be one of the top squads in every competition they play in. They have way too much talent to be this inconsistent. This non-stop coaching carousel probably isn't helping their chemistry either so we won't hold our breath that it will be any different with the next skipper.

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Oh you expected Maradona's time with Argentina to have less drama?

Big news coming out of Argentina today as Diego Maradona will no longer be the coach of the national team.

This bizarre series of events follows the news a few weeks back that he was going to be staying on through the 2014 World Cup. Typical with Maradona, nothing is as simple as it seems and the man is a one-man circus. Why anybody expected things to be any other way is a great question?

His stint as coach of the Albiceleste ended far less successfully than his time as a player with the national team. The Argentine Football Association, which hired the former star in November 2008, said Tuesday that his contract will not be renewed. The decision came 3½ weeks after his team, led by star Lionel Messi, was eliminated from the World Cup with a humiliating 4-0 loss to Germany in the quarterfinals.

"Diego shut himself off to any change," executive committee member Luis Segura said on Argentine television. "Diego has all the right to do what he wants. But so does AFA."

The federation had offered Maradona a four-year contract through the 2014 World Cup, but Maradona said he would do so only if his entire staff remained.

That was unacceptable to AFA president Julio Grondona. He had asked for several assistants to be replaced, including Maradona's close friend Alejandro Mancuso. The federation said its executive committee unanimously decided to not keep Maradona.

AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo called the decision "very painful" but said there was no way to solve the impasse.

"The president said that there was a significant difference between what AFA wanted to achieve and Maradona's aspirations for the future," Cherquis Bialo said. "There was a wide gap, and it was impossible to narrow it."

The spokesman hinted, however, there might be a role in the future for a man with an unpredictable history.

"This marks the end of a first chapter with Mr. Maradona," Cherquis Bialo said. "The doors to this house, as always, will be open to him."

Youth team manager Sergio Batista was appointed interim coach for the Aug. 11 exhibition at Ireland, which will be followed by a Sept. 7 home exhibition against world champion Spain. Possible permanent successors include two club coaches in Argentina: Alejandro Sabella of Estudiantes and Miguel Russo of Racing.

Asked about the full-time coach, Cherquis Bialo said: "The people who were in the meeting have no name in their imaginations. It has just been announced that the contract with the coach will not be renewed. And so, a new stage begins."

You've gotta admire the fan-boy tendencies and blind loyalty by the AFA. Basically, they're saying that they'll let Diego go chill for a couple years but if they don't see immediate results, he'll make his triumphant return in a few years and we'll forget this whole charade ever existed. Got it?

In his final act, Maradona selected Argentina's roster for an exhibition against Ireland on Aug. 11.

Messi, Higuain and Javier Mascherano lead the selections, who will be coached by Batista.

Several players left off the World Cup team were picked, including midfielders Jesus Datolo and Fernando Gago, and forward Ezequiel Lavezzi.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Mariano Andujar (Catania, Italy), Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands)

Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan, Italy), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle, England), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich, Germany), Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille, France), Emiliano Insua (Fiorentina, Italy), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan, Italy), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City, England)

Midfielders: Ever Banega (Valencia, Spain), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina, Italy), Datolo (Espanyol, Spain), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid, Spain), Gago (Real Madrid, Spain), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle, England), Mascherano (Liverpool, England), Javier Pastore (Palermo, Italy), Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool, Liverpool)

Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Higuain (Real Madrid, Spain), Lavezzi (Napoli, Italy), Messi (Barcelona, Spain), Diego Milito (Inter Milan, Italy), Tevez (Manchester City, England)

Good news for bozo lovers

After such a great start to the 2010 World Cup, Argentina completely unraveled in the quarterfinals against Germany but that's besides the point.

As we said he would, Diego Maradona proved to be by far, the most entertaining soccer coach in not only the tournament but the world. Therefore, I'm thrilled to see that the Argentian Football Association feels the same way. They are set to offer Maradona a four-year contract that will keep him around until the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

AFA president Julio Grondona will meet with Maradona next week to offer him the chance to guide his nation to the Brazil 2014 World Cup after the AFA executive committee determined he remains the right man to command the national team after a respectable showing at the World Cup in South Africa.

Maradona had little coaching experience before taking Argentina on a roller-coaster ride to World Cup qualification. Few gave him any chance of turning his undoubtedly high-quality squad into World Cup contenders but they impressed on their way to the quarter-finals before being humbled 4-0 by Germany.

Grondona intends to meet with Maradona no later than next Wednesday to discuss the contract extension. Maradona said after his side's exit that he would consult his family and the Argentina players before deciding whether he intended to stay on.

Jose Mourinho is the only other manager on the same planet as Maradona in terms of sheer entertainment value. Clearly, Diego has a long ways to go to reach the Special One's coaching ability but this would be a start.

Don't worry, this coked out fatso has everything under control

Without question, one of the best storylines in the 2010 World Cup is Argentina. One of the most talented teams in the world barely squeaked through qualifying. They're coached by Diego Maradona-one of the best players in soccer history who has so far shown no ability to manage.

Depending how Argentina is doing, it'll be funny to check in with Maradona and see what kind of zany antics he can get into (think Lawrence Taylor without the raping).

With the best player in the world-Messi-along with Tevez and Milito, this team is going to score some goals. Group B is Argentina, Greece, Nigeria and South Korea.

The 30-man roster for Argentina is a joke, it has enough depth for two great teams.

Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso are set to miss the World Cup after not being included in coach Diego Maradona's 30-man preliminary squad.

The Inter Milan pair have been two of the key players for Serie A champions Inter Milan and have been integral in the team reaching the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago and Barcelona central defender Gabriel Milito are other prominent absentees.

Inter, though, will be represented by striker Diego Milito, defender Walter Samuel while Bayern defender Martin Demichelis has also been selected.

Five English-based players have been included - Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, Newcastle pair Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez and Liverpool duo Javier Mascherano and Maxi Rodriguez.

Colon defender Ariel Garce - who has one cap - Lanus midfielder Sebastian Blanco and Newell's Old Boys defender Juan Manuel Insaurralde are the surprise players.

Martin Palermo could play in his first World Cup at the age of 36 after being selected following his achievements at Boca Juniors where he became their all-time top scorer.

Argentinos Juniors midfielder Juan Mercier, Colon keeper Diego Pozo, Estudiantes wing Jose Sosa (on loan from Bayern Munich) and Velez Sarsfield defender Nicolas Otamendi complete the nine-man home-based players list.

Maradona did not speak to the local media while the Argentinian FA revealed the list of players to fight for the 23 berths in the official squad to be revealed by June 1.
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Diego Pozo (Colon)

Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle), Juan Manuel Insaurralde (Newell's Old Boys), Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes), Ariel Garce (Colon)

Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Sebastian Blanco (Lanus), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes), Jesus Datolo (Olympiacos), Jose Sosa (Estudiantes), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina), Juan Mercier (Argentinos Juniors), Angel Di Maria (Benfica), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle), Javier Pastore (Palermo)

Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli).

The best part for me when I read about Argentina's team was that Maradona waited all day to make the announcement while journalists hung around the training facility and television broadcasts stood by. Oh and their website crashed. With hysteria like that, what could possibly go wrong if this team doesn't deliver the goods?