Diego Maradona wants China job

Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona has
underlined his desire to coach in China after
arriving in the country for an eight-day charity
trip, local media reported.
The 51-year-old, Argentina's head coach at the
2010 World Cup, was sacked by United Arab
Emirates club Al Wasl last month but appears
keen on a job in the Far East.
"I would like to coach in China," Maradona told a
news conference in Beijing, the China Daily
reported. "I wish to contribute to the
development of China's youth soccer."
One of Maradona's coterie of agents had sounded
out the Chinese earlier this year with a view of
eventually landing the national team job, the
newspaper said.
During his visit, Maradona, who led his country
to the 1986 World Cup as a player and is
regarded as one of the game's greatest ever, will
holds talks with Chinese FA boss Wei Di.
A controversial figure who has suffered serious
health issues and overcome drug addiction,
Maradona was fired as Argentina coach after
losing 4-0 to Germany in the quarterfinals of the
2010 tournament.
Chinese soccer has seen an influx of big-name
foreign players and coaches, including Sergio
Batista, the man who took over the Argentina job
from Maradona, now coach of Shanghai Shenhua.
The big-spending Chinese Super League club
boast former Chelsea strikers Nicolas Anelka and
Didier Drogba, while other clubs have also been
splashing the cash.
Shanghai's rivals Guangzhou Evergrande
appointed Italy's former World Cup winning
coach Marcello Lippi.

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