Tevez: Grondona broke his word on Maradona
Reuters - Wednesday 11 August 2010, 01:07
BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's football chief
Julio Grondona broke his word when the ruling body did not
renew World Cup coach Diego Maradona's contract, striker Carlos
Tevez said on Tuesday.
"Mr Grondona said Maradona could do what he liked (after
the World Cup)," Tevez said, adding the AFA president had told
the coach the job was still his after Argentina's 4-0
quarter-final defeat by Germany.
"In the changing room (after Argentina's elimination) Don
Julio told Diego he would continue (as coach). If (Grondona)
holds a meeting and I can say it to him face to face, I'll do
it," the outspoken Tevez told TyC Sports when he joined the
squad in Dublin for Wednesday's friendly against Ireland.
"There's a lot lacking in the AFA's word ... I say what I
think and feel, I don't care if for the next match I'm in the
national team or not," the Manchester City player said.
The AFA board voted against renewing Maradona's contract
after the coach had said he could not accept Grondona's demand
to drop of some of his coaching staff and pick new assistants.
Argentina are under interim coach Sergio Batista, who has
been in charge of the juniors and steered the country to
Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008.
The AFA plan to name a coach in December to see Argentina
through to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a job Batista, who
played alongside Maradona in the 1986 World Cup-winning team,
is keen to land.
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