Maradona says he will not leave national team

Maradona says he will not leave national team

BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 8 -- Argentine soccer icon Diego Maradona told
media on Thursday he will not leave his post as coach of the national soccer
team and hinted that Pablo Aimar, Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain will lead the
attack for the Argentina-Peru World Cup qualifier due on Saturday.



"I am neither quitting nor going," he said, quashing several days of media
speculation after it was reported that he had to seethe president of the
Argentine Football Association, Julio Grondona.

Argentina's national soccer team coach Diego Maradona visits the Rosario
Central stadium ahead of their 2010 World Cup qualifier match against Brazil in
Rosario, 310 km (192 miles) north of Buenos Aires, August 18, 2009. Maradona was
granted permission by soccer authorities to move the venue of their September
5th World Cup qualifier against arch-rivals Brazil away from the River Plate
stadium in Buenos Aires to the more compact Rosario Central stadium in
Argentina's second city.



"I am not speaking bout quitting, I am speaking about a chat with Grondona about
what I don't like. If all goes well I will stay, if not we will see."



Speaking to media in Ezeiza training grounds on the outskirts of Buenos Aires,
Maradona complained about media treatment of his statements and said it would be
much easier to leave the job and observe everything from his home "smoking a
cigar".



He described Messi as "his ace that will always play" and said he was not
interested in criticism of Messi's poor performance in comparison with his
performance at Spanish league giant Barcelona.



Barcelona coach Josep "Guardiola has more time to work with than we do. The idea
is to surround Messi with good players. I am not interested in criticisms. They
come in one ear and go out the other."



He also called Airmar, who plays for Portuguese giant Benfica, "is a delicacy"
and praised Higuain, who plays for Spain's other dominant team Real Madrid, who
he called up for the first time. Higuain is "way ahead" of other forwards for
the Peru match.



Argentina will play Peru in the Monumental Stadium, River Plate's home stadium
in Argentine capital Buenos Aires. The match is in the penultimate round of
South American qualifying for 2010 South Africa World Cup.



Argentina is in fifth place with 22 points, which would mean it has to face a
central American team for a place in the Cup.



Next Wednesday, Argentina will play Uruguay in the Centenario Stadium in
Montevideo. That game is the last chance for Argentina, which won the Cup in
1978 at home and in 1986 in Mexico.

(Xinhua)