Maradona won't apply for Argentina post - but hints at interest

Argentine legend Diego Maradona, seen here at Hanover Stadium in June 2006, says he is not going to throw his hat into the ring to replace coach Jose Pekerman, who resigned after the World Cup quarter-final loss to Germany.

Argentine legend Diego Maradona says he is not going to throw his hat into the ring to replace coach Jose Pekerman, who resigned after the World Cup quarter-final loss to Germany.

But he also vowed not to stay in the background either.

"I will neither step aside nor put forward my candidature," 1986 world champion Maradona told cable broadcaster TyC Sports.

"Maybe I will never become coach of the national team as I don't know if that would go down well with the powers that be. I am not under any illusions," said Maradona.

"What I want is for Argentina to have the best," said Maradona, who in opinion polls last week was rated as a possibility to take the reins - though way behind veteran Carlos Bianchi, former coach with Boca Juniors and who recently ended an unsuccessful stint with Atletico Madrid.

The polls published by major newspapers showed a majority of fans wanted Pekerman to stay in his post, despite the penalty shootout loss to the Germans.

Pekerman led the albiceleste to under-20 world titles in 1995, 1997 and 2001, and the 56-year-old is credited with the blooding of a raft of young stars, including Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, left on the bench for the quarter-final.

But he is stepping down just two years after replacing Marcelo Bielsa, who was in charge of Argentina at the last World Cup, when they crashed out in the group phase.

"I will neither step aside nor put forward my candidature, and nor will I go to the hotel where (federation head Julio) Grondona is to say 'here I am.'

"You have to stay cool and think things through carefully," Maradona said.

"Everyone thought that Bielsa was going after the last finals in 2002 but they renewed his contract," said Maradona of Pekerman's predecessor - though he did finally go in 2004.

Argentina coach Jose Pekerman gestures during the World Cup quarter-final match against Germany in Berlin, June 2006. Argentine legend Diego Maradona says he is not going to throw his hat into the ring to replace Pekerman, who resigned after the 4-2 loss to Germany.

According to Maradona, Argentina should have beaten the hosts.

"That Argentina played well doesn't mean they are the best. But we should have been beaten Germany as we did Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro as Germany is not much better than Ivory Coast."

Pekerma meanwhile told a news conference in Buenos Aires that he was indeed going as his chapter "is closed."

Some 5,000 fans had welcomed the squad as they landed at Ezeiza, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of the capital.

"I stand by my decision - we were ten minutes away" from the semi-final, Pekerman said.

"As we didn't manage it I maintain that the page is turned.

"I said we had to play seven games and we didn't manage it."

Pekerman spoke up for his side's creative hub, Juan Roman Riquelme, saying that "he had an excellent World Cup. Riquelme did not score goals but set them up."

He added that he took the playmaker off against the Germans as he was tiring badly.