Argentina head coach Diego Maradona says he
will walk out on the national team if he is refused permission to
appoint Oscar Ruggeri as his assistant.
Since being appointed on 4 November, the 48-year-old has
reportedly been in dispute with the Argentina Football Association
over his choice of staff.
Maradona's first match is scheduled to be away to Scotland on
Wednesday.
"I will be the trainer with my technical staff I want, otherwise
I will not come to Glasgow," he said. <!-- E SF -->
Carlos Bilardo, the Argentina FA's technical secretary, insists
Maradona will not carry out his threat.
"He won't resign. I have spoken to Diego and told him he has to
go slowly. There are 500 people he can choose to assist him," said
Bilardo.
"When I coached the national team (between 1983 and 1990) I had
to change my whole staff after four or five months of work.
"But Diego wants them all at once."
Argentina FA boss Julio Grondon, who Maradona is reported to be
in dispute with, would not reveal the reasons for his dislike of
former Argentina defender Ruggeri.
"It's my problem," he said. "I don't want to talk about
this."
