Maradona slams ´betrayal´

Diego Maradona claims he was betrayed by former mentor Carlos Bilardo during his sacking as Argentina coach in July.

Maradona, 50, was removed from the role after leading Argentina to a quarter-final exit at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) chose not to renew Maradona’s contact after a dispute over his preferred choice of backroom staff.

A World Cup winner as a player under Bilardo, Maradona believes he was responsible for the 71-year-old’s appointment as general manager of the AFA.

But when the AFA decided to remove Maradona, his former mentor apparently failed to fight his corner.

“If he (Bilardo) has something to tell me, he should say it to me. He had opportunities. It is a cowardly thing,” Maradona said.

“Because the one who entered Bilardo in the selection was me. If I say no, Bilardo would not have entered. I have a commitment with Bilardo. I did not betray Bilardo. Bilardo betrayed me.”

AFA President Julio Grondona and new coach Sergio Batista also came under fire.

“He (Grondona) didn’t call me again, and the worst part is when we finished the game against Germany he said to me in front of the guys that he was going to respect all the technical body (of the team). Now that he wants to change this, it is his problem,” Maradona said.

“It seems to me that on Batista’s part there was also really bad breakdown in communication, which I didn’t like. But, well, I wish him the best. Hopefully, he will be able to achieve with the team what I couldn’t do: champion of the world.”

Maradona also opened fire on former club Boca Juniors, claiming the Buenos Aires giants repeatedly overlooked him as manager.

“Look, I have had a very big betrayal. I thought they were going to call me, and they called (Max) Bianchi. After they fired him, they called him again to ask him who he wanted as the Boca coach. That is a very big betrayal, “Maradona said.

“But it doesn’t worry me because (the president of Boca Juniors) Ameal doesn’t distinguish between a rugby ball and a football, and so this doesn’t worry me. I say to the people of Boca that one day I am going to sit on that bench.”