Big-spending Shanghai plot Batista swoop
Reuters - Tuesday 22 May 2012, 06:56
Former Argentina coach Sergio
Batista is close to signing a contract with big-spending Chinese
club Shanghai Shenhua, who are on the lookout to replace sacked
manager Jean Tigana.
A successful swoop for Batista would come after 2006 World
Cup-winning Italian coach Marcello Lippi took charge of rivals
Guangzhou Evergrande last week.
"[The contract] has not been signed so far. The two sides [Batista and the Shenhua Club] are still in negotiation," Ma
Yue, the club's spokesperson, told Reuters by telephone.
Batista coached Argentina to Olympic gold at the 2008
Beijing Games before replacing Diego Maradona as the coach of
the national side.
He was sacked after only a year following Argentina's
failure to end an 18-year wait for a major title at the 2011
Copa America.
Shanghai fired Frenchman Tigana in April after a poor start
to the season, replacing him with interim coach Jean-Florent
Ibenge.
French striker Nicolas Anelka, who joined Shanghai from
Chelsea in January, will continue to combine playing as well as
helping to coach the side.
Anelka's former striker partner Didier Drogba is still a
possible target, though the Ivorian's heroics in helping Chelsea
win the Champions League could earn him a new deal in London.