BUENOS AIRES – Diego Maradona said he wants to hold talks with Al-Wasl to try and save his job, one day after being fired as coach by the Dubai club. The club said the former Argentina great was being “relieved” of his duties Tuesday because it wanted to move in a new direction. In a letter to the club published Wednesday on his website, Maradona said he and the club had been talking about possible player signings before he was fired. He said if budget restrictions were an issue, then he wanted to talk about it soon with club officials in the hope of reversing the decision. “If it's impossible for the club to buy players because of budget reasons, there will always be the chance to talk about it with club's board of directors and look for solutions,” Maradona wrote. “I hope to have a meeting soon to deal with all these matters. I am completely sure they will be disposed to reach a good agreement.” The team finished a disappointing eighth in the 12-team league and didn't win any trophies. The season ended with Al-Wasl blowing a 3-1 first-leg lead in the GCC Club Championship and losing to Bahrain's Al-Muharraq on penalties. The club's board of directors resigned days after the June defeat, leaving Maradona vulnerable. The new board insisted he would remain for another year but then changed its mind after “a comprehensive study of all the technical aspects” of his tenure. “We cannot deny that Diego Maradona is the best football player in the world and a good coach,” said Mohammed Bin Dakhan, the vice president of the football club. “But we are looking forward to someone who will take us forward and win championships again for Al-Wasl.” He said the club was looking at four or five possible candidates, including former Qatar and Senegal national coach Bruno Metsu. Yousuf Al-Sarkal, the president of the UAE Football Association, said he was “disappointed” to hear that Al-Wasl had fired Maradona. He said Maradona should have given more time, adding that club's failure to win any trophies cannot be solely blamed on Maradona but was the responsibility of “the coach, players and management.”— AP
