Diego Maradona has promised that Emirati players will follow him to Dynamo Brest, saying the club’s fans shouldn’t be ‘surprised’ if three footballers from the Emirates join the Belarusian side ‘tomorrow’.
The 1986 World Cup winner was officially unveiled as the club’s new chairman on a three-year deal just weeks after leaving his position as Fujairah coach, following their failure to secure automatic promotion to the Arabian Gulf League.
It was his second coaching stint in the UAE following a dismal spell in charge of Al Wasl where he was sacked after 14 months in 2012.
And after seeing enough talent during his stay in the UAE, the long-term Dubai resident insists there’s a strong possibility that players from the country could also make the switch to Eastern European nation Belarus.
“Whether they are Emirati, Italian or Spanish, I have a lot of love for the players that I have coached, so don’t be surprised if tomorrow we have three Emirati players in my team,” the 57-year-old told media at the Emirates Palace hotel late on Tuesday night. “Because all the work my boys at Fujairah have done they conquered my heart and this is a lot.
“When we went to Holland we were a random group, like a high school group, but when we came back to Fujairah we came with an idea of how we wanted to play football. That’s why I’m not afraid of the challenge and of this challenge. Definitely I will take Emirati players.”
The former Barcelona and Napoli star was unable to deliver automatic promotion for the Wolves, who later booked their spot in the AGL via the play-offs. And while he criticised the club for the manner in which they announced his exit, Fujairah and the UAE will always be in his heart.
📸 Диего Марадона – председатель правления "Динамо-Брест"! #fcdb1960 pic.twitter.com/FcMii3TeL8
— FC Dynamo Brest (@dynamobrest) May 22, 2018
“I was kicked from Al Wasl because of a tweet. And from Fujairah the same thing happened – because of a tweet they sent me home,” he said.
“I want to congratulate my boys at Fujairah and not anyone else. We fought hard and they wanted to be in the Arabian Gulf League. I have encountered many good memories. I travelled 150km to go from my home to Fujairah and back again to go home every day and the boys of Fujairah are in my heart always.”
While Maradona insisted he will always consider himself an “Emirati citizen”, he also paid tribute to the UAE and hoped he could one day work with Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
“It has been a beautiful and long journey that I have experienced in this country and the people with whom I have shared deep love and appreciation. I see that they have greatly influenced my career both in terms of sport and social life,” he said.
“A very important point I would like to stress on is the vision of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed with Manchester City. They have become a world power in football. I wish, someday, I co-operate with HH Sheikh Mansour.”
The ex-Argentina coach will begin his new role with Dynamo Brest after the World Cup in the summer and will be tasked in making the side a competitive force in Belarus and Europe. Among his duties will be dealing with first-team matters and the club’s development.
After eight games of the 2018 season, the club lie eighth in the Belarusian league but last week won the Belarus Cup that booked them a place in the qualifying round of the Europa League.
Maradona will analyse the first-team squad before deciding whether to enter the transfer market for reinforcements.
“First of all, we need to see what I’m lacking in the team,” he added. “Once I will see the players on the pitch, from there I will take my conclusions and in which positions I will need a player.”
