Maradona Sacked by Al-Wasi

Diego Maradona has been sacked as manager of the United Arab Emirates club Al-Wasl. The Argentinian's position had been in doubt since last month when the club's entire board resigned following a trophyless season.

Maradona was appointed in May last year but after managing only eighth place in the Pro-League in his first season in charge he has been sacked after meeting the new board on Tuesday.

"Following a meeting held by the board of directors of Al-Wasl Football Company held today [Tuesday], to evaluate the technical staff of Al-Wasl Football Team under the leadership of coach Diego Maradona, it was decided to terminate the services of coach Diego Maradona and his technical staff," a statement from the club said.

Maradona still had a year to run on his contract with the ambitious Dubai-based club. The 51-year-old had been brought in to help boost the club's profile, both on and off the pitch, but in addition to a disappointing league campaign they were knocked out of the President's Cup and Emirates Cup at the quarter-final stage.

Is it Just More Al Wasi from Diego

Diego Maradona's Al Wasl have launched an ambitious bid to sign Didier Drogba but the Dubai-based club believe the former Chelsea favourite will move to China.

The veteran Ivory Coast international is available as a free agent after leaving Stamford Bridge last month following their Champions League victory over Bayern Munich.

Al Wasl chairman Marwan bin Bayat revealed they had made Drogba a lucrative offer although he conceded it was not as much as on offer from Shanghai Shenhua, who also boast Drogba's former striker partner Nicolas Anelka.

Anelka has been angling for the 34-year-old to join him in the Far East but Maradona had been hopeful of luring the former Marseille hitman to the Middle East.

Bin Bayat said the offer from the United Arab Emirates club was 'definitely serious' but that the Ivorian 'seems more interested in China.'

Maradona wants the club to bring in bigger names after a season in which it finished eighth in the 12-team UAE pro league.

Maradona May Quit Al Wasl

Al Wasl coach Diego Maradona has claimed he will quit the club if he is not backed in the transfer market.

Maradona moved to the club in search of a new challenge, but has struggled in the first season of his two-year contract in Dubai. And the Argentine legend insists that he was promised six new players, but only two arrived.

"We need more players. In the beginning the agreement was for six players, but I have only received two, and one has left, so they have not fulfilled what was agreed," Maradona told reporters. "If the management cannot fulfil my needs then I will be ready to leave."

"I will talk to the management, discuss the requirements and see if they can fulfil these promises. I am not asking for a raise, a single dollar extra.

"I just want to be able to compete and if I cannot be competitive with my team, then I don't deserve to be doing this. I cannot compete if I cannot get the players I want.

"I still have a year on my contract, but I will be very sad if I have to leave because I will feel that I did not get the support I wanted. I came here to work, to achieve good results and compete. This is the most important thing to me and it saddens me that I am not able to achieve that."

Maradona, the father-in-law of Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, also hinted that perhaps it was time to quit altogether, saying: "Maybe after being 31 years in this industry it's time to do something else and be with my grandson."

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Maradona Calls Pele Stupid

Diego Maradona has called Brazilian counterpart Pele "stupid" for suggesting that Barcelona star Lionel Messi is not as good as Santos starlet Neymar.

"Maybe Neymar is the best player in the world, but only if you say that Messi is from a different planet," Maradona said.

Messi, 24, won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2009 and scooped the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010 and 2011, while rising-star Neymar, 20, landed FIFA's Puskas Award for the best goal of 2011.

Despite Messi's raft of trophies and personal awards, Pele believes his countryman Neymar, who has won the Brazilian league and Copa Libertadores with his old club Santos, is the better player.

"Now everyone is talking about Messi; he is a star. But [to be the best ever] he must first become better than Neymar," Pele said. "At the moment Messi is just more experienced."

However, Maradona, who has traded insults with Pele on more than a few occasions, laughed off the claims. "My God, that is just stupid," Maradona said as he backed fellow Argentinian Messi.

Maradona Loses Goalkeeper

A goalkeeper for Diego Maradona's Al Wasl club has been banned for 17 matches after attacking an opposing coach following a 1-0 loss to Al Alhi in the Etisalat Cup semifinals.

The United Arab Emirates Football Association imposed the lengthy ban after Majed Naser slapped Al Alhi coach Quique Sanches Flores on the back of the head following Sunday's defeat.

Al Wasl had already suspended Naser indefinitely. 

The UAE FA's disciplinary committee subsequently imposed the ban and fined Naser $8,167.

Al Wasl declined to comment on the ban but issued a statement condemning the attack, saying "this type of behavior not only damages the reputation of the individual but is also detrimental to the image of the club."

Maradona's current club took swift and decisive action  banning Majed Nasser for 17 matches for his “violent act” against the manager of Al Ahli in the fractious Etisalat Cup semi-final clash.

The board of directors handed out the punishment yesterday following the incident on Sunday night which saw Nasser slap Quique Sanchez Flores on the back of his head after the 1-0 defeat.

The club initially suspended the player indefinitely on Sunday night and the keeper, who played for the UAE in the 4-2 victory over Lebanon last month, went to the house of Sanchez Flores after the game to apologise for his behaviour.

According to a Wasl official, the Spaniard accepted the apology.

The goalkeeper, 27, also issued a statement through the Dubai club, saying: “I offer my apologies to the President of Al Wasl Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and Vice President Sheikh Majed for my behaviour. I would also like to sincerely apologise to all Al Wasl fans.”

Wasl condemned his actions.

“This type of behaviour not only damages the reputation of the individual, but is also detrimental to the image of the club as a whole, and will not be tolerated. Players are considered a reflection of the club and are therefore expected to be role models of Al Wasl’s values and ethics.”

“Everybody saw what happened and it was all there on TV,” said Abdulmajeed Hussain, the director of Ahli’s first team. “I don’t want to talk about it because the case is under process now. The Football Association and the Professional League Committee are there, they have all the evidence.”

Nasser was punished for a similar offence in 2007 when he struck a linesman during a match against Al Jazira. He was initially banned for 13 matches, but the suspension was reduced to five games on appeal.

On Sunday night, Nasser charged at Sanchez Flores, who was celebrating with his players, slapping him from behind.

He had to be restrained by Wasl training staff, including Diego Maradona, the Wasl coach, who acted as peacemaker.

“I didn’t see it, but it felt like a camera was pushing my head,” Sanchez Flores, the former Atletico Madrid coach, said after the game.

“Then I saw that it was the goalkeeper, and I did not know the reason because I didn’t do anything to incite a push. I didn’t deserve this. I have never done anything in my life to receive a push. I am fine, but I don’t like it. I have messages on my phone from people in Spain asking what happened, what happened in Arabian football, is the goalkeeper crazy? It is a strange situation.”

Al Ahli’s Luis Jimenez was handed a one-match ban in January for butting the referee in a Pro League game against Jazira.

“I think this is bad for football in general, very bad for Arabian football in particular, and I hope there will be a fine for this player [Nasser],” Sanchez Flores said

Van Persie Visits Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona had a surprise visit from Robin van Persie, the Arsenal striker, on Saturday night during a training session for Al Wasl.

The Dutch forward is on a short break in Dubai with his family and decided to make a spontaneous visit to meet his idol.

"I've always admired Maradona since I was a young child," said Van Persie. "He is one of the best footballers of all time, and a visit to Dubai would not have been complete without the opportunity to get to meet him face to face."

Maradona, who was very pleased with the surprise visit, was full of praise for the Dutch striker.

"Van Persie is not only a star player but a footballer with a stellar personality that is something that I hold in high respect. His great talent, combined with his humble character, make him a model for all great players to live by," said Maradona.

Van Persie, who brought his wife Bouchra and two children along with him, also had a kickabout with Maradona, even though he was dressed in jeans and smart shoes.

Arsenal face second-tier English side Leeds United tomorrow in the third round of the FA Cup, though it is not known whether Van Persie will be back in England for that game or whether he is being rested by manager Arsene Wenger.