Wed, Jul 28 10 04:18 AM
REUTERS - Diego Maradona's spell as Argentina coach came to an end on Tuesday after the country's soccer association voted unanimously not to renew his contract.
Here are some facts about the career of Maradona, who was one of the most gifted players to grace the game:
ARGENTINA COACH
* Maradona, initially a rank outsider in the race to replace former coach Alfio Basile, had only had two short stints as a club coach in the mid-1990s, with Deportivo Mandiyu and Racing Club. His 23 games in charge produced just three wins.
* Appointed Argentina coach on Nov. 4 2008, he made a winning start with a 1-0 victory over Scotland 15 days later.
* In Maradona's first competitive match as coach in March, Argentina thumped Venezuela 4-0, only to lose 6-1 in Bolivia in their next outing.
* World Cup qualifying defeats by Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay left Argentina in danger of missing out on the finals.
* Victory in their final two qualifying games against Peru and Uruguay ensured they booked a spot at the finals.
* Maradona appeared before a FIFA disciplinary committee on Nov. 15 following a foul-mouthed outburst after Argentina's 1-0 victory over Uruguay in their final World Cup qualifier on Oct. 14. He was banned for two months and fined more than $24,000.
* Revelling in the spotlight, sporting a new beard and, unusually for him, wearing a suit, Maradona provided his own show on the touchline at the World Cup.
Argentina won all three of their group games and beat Mexico 3-1 in the second round but it all went wrong in the quarter-final against Germany when, poorly organised in midfield, they were routed 4-0.
* Maradona, criticised for failing to bring the best out of Lionel Messi, said it was the hardest day of his life.
BEST IN THE WORLD
* A football genius, Maradona led Argentina to their second World Cup triumph in Mexico in 1986, his crowning glory.
* Maradona scored the 'Hand of God' goal as Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-finals and led Argentina's 3-2 victory over West Germany in the 1986 final.
* The stocky Argentine also inspired southern Italian club Napoli to their first league titles in 1987 and 1990 and the UEFA Cup in 1989 during a decade at the top of his sport.
FALL FROM GRACE
* Maradona's fall was sudden and swift. After he had coaxed a mediocre Argentina team to their second successive World Cup final in Rome in July 1990, he failed a doping test in 1991.
* He was suspended for 15 months, investigated over alleged Mafia ties and later held in Argentina for cocaine possession.
* He tested positive for drug use during the 1994 World Cup and was suspended from the tournament. He came back with Boca Juniors in 1995 but failed another drug test two years later before retiring.
* In 1998, he was given a two-year suspended jail sentence for an incident four years earlier when he fired an air pistol at reporters who were doorstepping his home.
RAGS TO RICHES
* One of eight children of a factory worker, Maradona was born on Oct. 30, 1960, in a shantytown on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. He made his debut with Argentinos Juniors in 1976, days before turning 16.
* He helped Boca Juniors win the Argentine championship in 1981 and was transferred to Barcelona in 1982. He moved to Italy's Napoli in 1984.
* He was admitted to hospital in Uruguay in 2000 with heart problems and tests revealed cocaine use. He underwent drug rehabilitation in Cuba.
* Appearing overweight, Maradona spent 10 days in 2004 in intensive care in Argentina with heart and breathing problems. He was confined to a psychiatric hospital.
* Slimmer after a stomach-stapling operation, Maradona launched a successful television talk show in Argentina in 2005 that lasted for one season.
* In May 2007 a clean-shaven Maradona vowed to get fit and stay healthy in his first public appearance since he was admitted to hospital for alcohol-induced hepatitis. He said then his dream was to coach Argentina's national team.
Source: Published>
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