By Duncan Mackay
December 29 – Crisis talks have been held between Diego Maradona (pictured) and Carlos Bilardo to try to prevent a damaging split between Argentina’s team management before next year’s World Cup in South Africa.
Juan Sebastian Veron, the former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder, had claimed that a three way power struggle between the Argentinean Football Association (AFA) President Julio Grondona and Bilardo and Maradona, the team manager and coach, is undermining the team’s preparations.
Bilardo, who guided Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup, calls himself the Director of National Teams but Maradona has said publicly that he will not take orders from anyone.
Maradona is still serving his two-month ban from FIFA for his expletive-laden rant in the aftermath of his side’s qualification for the World Cup following their hard-fought 1-0 win in Uruguay in October but is still closely involved in Argentina’s preparations for next year.
He has demanded that the AFA employ Oscar Ruggeri to work alongside him and his assistant Alejandro Mancuso but Grondona and Bilardo have blocked the appointment.
But, following a meeting in Buenos Aires, Bilardo claimed that “everything is in harmony”.
He said: ”We have talked about everything and our main goal is the national team.
“I have been with Diego since the 1983 and now all we think about is in the World Cup.”
The relationship is unlikely to be repaired that easily, however.
Earlier this year, Maradona accused Bilardo of leading a plot to overthrow Grondona, which he denied.
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