Angry Maradona hits out at the media

Diego Maradona lashed out angrily at the media for failing to back him during Argentina’s roll-coaster ride to last-gasp qualification for the World Cup finals.

After sneaking victory here over Uruguay on Wednesday night, the coach who led his country to World Cup glory in 1986, used the crudest terms to attack repeatedly “those who did not believe”.

“I would like to thank the team for the privilege they have done me by taking me to the World Cup and (to thank) the people who travelled here,” Maradona said Wednesday night.

“However … there are people who do not deserve thanks,” he said, in a barb aimed at the press which questioned his suitability for the job as well as the tactics of a team blessed with the talents of Lionel Messi.

The criticism gathered pace after Argentina went down 6-1 in Bolivia in April and then lost to Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay.

Argentina had to win their last two group games and just managed to do so thanks to a last-minute goal on Saturday against Peru and a scrambled winner from virtual unknown Mario Bolatti six minutes from time in Montevideo.

As a result, Argentina claimed the region’s fourth and last qualifying place for South Africa.

“I have a good memory,” Maradona warned reporters. “I will not forget those who did not believe in my team and treated me as a good-for-nothing.

“Today were are in the World Cup finals, without anybody’s help,” Maradona said.

Buenos Aires newspapers had reported that the coach’s relations with team manager Carlos Bilardo were on the rocks. “You made up the problems with Bilardo,” Maradona charged.

A shock choice to replace Alfio Bastile as coach on October 28 last year, Maradona turned 48 two days later.

With no serious coaching experience, the decision was ridiculed as another dangerous flirtation with a legend whose lustre, outside of Argentina, had long faded.

But at first he confounded his critics.

A team which had won just one of its seven previous matches beat Scotland 1-0 in Maradona’s first game, saw off France 2-0 and Venezuela 4-0.

Four days later, at La Paz’s unforgiving 3,500m altitude, Argentina were humiliated by Bolivia, one of two-time world champions’ heaviest defeats in history.

Before the last two matches Maradona even suggested he might quit.

“After the qualifying, I will speak with Julio (Grondona, the president of the Argentine football federation). I will see if I am to continue and this will be on my terms,” he said.

“When Julio offered me the job, I was the happiest man in the world. But since then, there are things that have not pleased me.”