Argentina legend Diego Maradona has signed on for a shock return to management at Fujairah in the UAE’s second division.
Maradona, 56, has been out of work since he was sacked by the Arabian Gulf League’s Al Wasl midway through a two-year deal in July 2012. The controversial World Cup 1986 winner – widely considered one of the sport’s greatest and most-iconic players, but a coach with a patchy record – will now take the helm of an ambitious club who are aiming to escape First Division League, after they failed to gain an instant top-flight return in 2016/17.
The ex-Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli superstar – who is a long-term Dubai resident – was pictured signing a one-year contract last night.
“I want to tell you that I’m the new technical director of Fujairah, of the second division of United Arab Emirates,” Maradona wrote on his official Facebook page. “These are my new colours.”
There was some confusion about the Argentine’s declaration, with Fujairah tweeting a picture of him holding their shirt along with a message: “Official: The new coach of Fujairah.”
El Pibe de Oro enjoyed a historic and inspirational career as a footballer, winning Serie A twice with Napoli and the globe’s grandest football tournament with his native country 31 years ago. But similar success has eluded him in technical roles.
He had middling spells at Mandiyu de Corrientes and Racing Club during the mid-1990s back in his native country, before being surprisingly picked to lead Argentina in 2008. They then only just edged through qualifying to World Cup 2010, with an offer to renew his contract being withdrawn in the aftermath of a brutal 4-0 quarter-final defeat to Germany.
In May 2011, Wasl made the stunning announcement that he would be their coach from 2011/12. A trophyless campaign followed, featuring an eighth-placed top-flight finish, quarter-final exits in the President’s Cup and Arabian Gulf Cup, plus an embarrassing loss to Bahrain’s Al Muharraq in the GCC Champions League’s decider.
Maradona remained in the country after he was dismissed, occasionally doing ambassadorial work for Dubai Sports Council.
He has also been a regular attendee at UAE national games, telling Sport360° last November: “When I was coming back from UAE v Iraq, I felt like I needed to manage a training session immediately, with fury. I couldn’t sleep, I was thinking the whole night; trainings, projects, planning, and I’m still feeling that.”
His new posting is in a remote emirate, two-hour’s drive from Dubai. With the likes of ex-Algeria and Rangers centre-back Madjid Bougherra in the Fujairah ranks, they spent two seasons in the AGL from 2014-16.
Bosnian Dzemal Hadziabdic was dismissed by the Wolves’ board last month. They went on to finish outside the FDL’s promotion spots in fourth under Egyptian Tarek Mostafa.
