Diego Maradona, who famously attributed a controversial
World Cup goal to the "Hand of God", on Friday said it's the "Will
of God" that will inspire Argentina to the final.
"In the end, it is about whether God wants us to be in the
final, but I know that is what God wants," Maradona is quoted as
saying by SID, an AFP subsidiary.
"This time we will not need the Hand of God, because it is the
will of God."
As a player, Maradona used his hand to score against England in
Mexico in 1986 and described the incident as the "Hand of God".
On Saturday, Argentina face Germany in the quarter-finals and
the Argentina coach believes 20-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder
Thomas Mueller, who scored twice in the 4-1 hammering of England in
the round of 16, holds the key for his opponents.
Mueller was virtually unknown outside of Germany when he made
his debut in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Argentina in Munich in March
and attended the post-match press conference as his country's great
new hope alongside the Argentina coach.
Maradona joked he thought the ballboy had arrived and felt so
slighted that he stormed off and refused to return until the German
left the stage to him alone.
But the Argentinian knows all about Mueller now.
"This boy is pretty fast and plays with lots of freedom," said
Maradona.
"If we had to run a marathon, Germany would win thanks to
Mueller.
"But in football it's not just about running. With the ball at
our feet, we are better."
Argentina's talisman Lionel Messi has been battling a cold in
the build up to the match, but is expected to be fit.
The 23-year-old has yet to score at this World Cup, but Maradona
wants to give the world footballer of the year every opportunity to
play to his full potential.
"I want to give Lionel entire freedom so he has so much space to
move," said Maradona.
"Players like Messi can't be put in a box, if you do that you
take away their freshness and freedom. You have to just have to let
them play."