Although it appears as something ripped from the headlines of TheOnion.com the appointment of Diego Maradona as Argentina’s coach is no joke.
The former World Cup winner and tragically-flawed figure was unveiled Tuesday in Buenes Aires and will immediately begin the process of motivating an underachieving World Cup squad that has won only one of its previous eight games.
The appointment carried a reported 70 per cent disapproval rate among polls conducted in the South American country, but in North American the vote might be closer to 50/50.
In the spirit of the children’s literary phenomena known as Choose Your Own Adventure novels I am going to let you decide whether or not the appointment of El Diego is the right or wrong move.
If you think appointing Maradona as manager of Argentina is the right move, click here.
If you think appointing Maradona as manager of Argentina is the wrong move, read on.
Maradona as the wrong move
The mere mention of Maradona as a manager elicits as much laughter as it does loyalty in many soccer circles. The Argentine has spent nearly as much time in a waiting room as in a technical box. While his performance on the field is unparalleled it is the soap opera he lived away from the pitch that made the most headlines.
Drug addiction, alcohol problems and obesity had fans of the Player of the Century on death watch as recent as 2007. But a calendar year later the same man will wear the yoke of World Cup qualification in a country where expectations are measured only in results.
The ability to play at the highest level and teach at its equal is a sporting rarity, and is usually reserved for those who did not possess the natural physical attributes but were instead able to compensate through an understanding of how the games are played.
Maradona had no time for such triviality. His gift was to put the ball in the back of the net, not explain how it got there.
Lack of understanding will always be exposed, regardless of how shiny the crown.
If there is one component needed to be a successful leader of men it is respect. As a man both idolized and crucified, Maradona has no shortage of it. Already backed by player prodigy Lionel Messi and managerial peers like Alex Ferguson, Maradona has already earned the elusive, something that his predecessor failed to find.
If the troubled star has taught us anything it is to never count him out. In the world of professional sports, it is hard to imagine a better trait. Maradona’s World Cup teammate and reputed football philosopher Jorge Valdano said Argentina’s unlikely coach is "a genetic miracle, a man whom nature endowed with extraordinary abilities and who, moreover, grew up in the right place to achieve his potential."
It is the combination of respect and the hint of immortality that will inevitably inspire the players he is set to tutor. It must be remembered that Maradona will not stand alone on the touchline. The stability of men like Carlos Bilardo (former coach on the national team) and Sergio Batista (won consecutive gold medals for Argentina in the Olympics) await only a pair of signatures.
Maradona needs to stabilize a team which -- barring complete disaster -- will likely qualify for the World Cup as it stands. Unlike several of his colleagues, the great South American does not need to perform miracles in a short period of time.
As a player Maradona was known for his ability to navigate through the toughest of obstacles, and if he can capture the final few qualification points there is not a coach in the world who will look lightly upon lining up across from Argentina and its inspirational leader when the game’s biggest stage open in two years time.
