Argentina icon Diego Maradona’s managerial comeback has reportedly been brought to a premature and shocking close after undefeated Fujairah dismissed him hours after they failed to earn automatic promotion to the Arabian Gulf League upon a rollercoaster final day.
Maradona, 57, stunned the world last May when he was hired by the ambitious First Division League-challengers on a one-season deal amid a blaze of publicity. His task upon the end of a five-year exile from the dugout was to ensure the Wolves made the top flight for the first time since 2015/16.
This challenge reached a crescendo on Friday night when a disappointing 1-1 draw with 10-man Khor Fakkan saw them bumped into next month’s play-offs by ascendant Ittihad Kalba, who defeated Al Urooba 2-0 at the same time to steal second spot. The result sparked tumultuous scenes on and off the pitch at a heated Fujairah Stadium.
Maradona will now not get a chance to tackle the AGL’s bottom-placed side, Hatta, on May 9 and 13 after the third-placed Wolves management stunningly chose to bring his reign to an abrupt end.
“The management of Fujairah will be assigned to the first team,” a tweet from their Twitter account read.
Representatives for the legendary ex-Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli forward – named joint FIFA Player of the Century in 2000 alongside Brazil’s Pele – revealed they had yet to be officially informed of his removal when contacted at the time of publishing.
Maradona’s previous posting was unceremoniously cut short by Al Wasl in July 2012 halfway through a two-year deal. He had exited Argentina in the aftermath of a 4-0 rout by Germany in the 2010 World Cup’s quarter-finals.
On the UAE’s east coast, Maradona avoided defeat throughout the regular 2017/18 campaign. Earlier this month, a creditable 4-2 defeat had also been incurred in the President’s Cup quarter-finals against AGL champions Al Ain.
But his profligate side was hamstrung by 11 draining second-division draws. The latest was to prove fatal.
A rollercoaster fixture in front of more than 4,000 fans witnessed the hosts go ahead just before the hour mark through right-back Fahad Sebil’s penalty. Khor veteran Essa Mohammed’s optimistic 35-yard set-piece moments later then ricocheted off striker Mohammed Ali and embarrassingly squirmed under goalkeeper Saeed Sadeq.
Maradona was uncharacteristically subdued in the final moments of the match, even after opposition player Omar Jowher was dismissed for a wild two-footed lunge. He moved to console his heartbroken players after the final whistle, performed a truncated lap of honour and eventually headed down the tunnel deep in discussion with assistant – and fellow World Cup 1986 winner – Luis Islas.
Offers from within the UAE and abroad for next term have been fielded by Maradona’s agents during recent weeks. Their celebrated client’s desire had been to secure a top-flight berth with the Wolves and ink a one-year extension.
#fujfc pic.twitter.com/5LAcp3Jy6K
— FUJAIRAH FC (@Fuj_FC) April 27, 2018
