Maradona says could be next coach of Venezuela

Thursday, 3 July 2014 02:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A statue of former Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona holding the FIFA World Cup is seen after it was unveiled, along with others of Argentina’s soccer player Lionel Messi and former player Gabriel Batistuta, ahead of the 2014 World Cup, in public square in Buenos Aires 5 June – REUTERS

CARACAS (Reuters): Argentine great Diego Maradona has said he could be the next coach of Venezuela, the only South American country that has never made it to the World Cup. Cesar Farias quit in November last year after the Venezuelan team, which is known as the ‘Vinotinto’ (‘Red Wine’) for its burgundy-colored kit, missed out on the Brazil finals. The Venezuelan Soccer Federation has not made any announcements about a replacement despite rumours that several coaches of local teams are being considered. “I look for serious projects ... and think that yes, if it’s with security, then maybe,” World Cup winner Maradona said on regional television network Telesur, when asked about the possibility. Maradona, whose well-known leftist politics made him an ally of the country’s socialist government, said he planned to visit President Nicolas Maduro after the World Cup. “We plan to talk a bit about everything, including the team,” he said. Rumors of him leading Venezuela’s selection surfaced last week in local media, but Maradona had responded by saying he was unaware of any such proposal. Maradona was a close friend of Venezuela’s late President Hugo Chavez.