Argentina is in the World Cup, but will Maradona still be around for the trip to South Africa

Questions abound over Maradona’s coaching future

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Argentina cleared a big hurdle by squeaking into next year’s World Cup. Whether Diego Maradona will still be the coach then is another matter.

Will the man recognized as one of the world’s greatest players be pushed aside? Or will he resign as he threatened to do a week ago under mounting criticism over his coaching?

Maradona probably did not help his case after Wednesday’s 1-0 victory against Uruguay, letting loose with a string of profanities on live television — much of it directed at reporters and his critics.

Last week he threatened to resign, then said later he was misquoted. Asked about it again after reaching the World Cup, he said he had to speak with Julio Grondona, the powerful, longtime head of the Argentine Football Association.

Grondona hired Maradona — with virtually no coaching experience — almost a year ago despite several strong options. Argentine Marcelo Bielsa coaches Chile and countryman Gerardo Martino coaches Paraguay. Both countries qualified for the World Cup with ease.

In a radio interview Thursday, Grondona said if he had to do it again he would repeat his choice of Maradona. And he excused the profane tirade.

“Anybody at a moment can say things that they regret later,” Grondona told radio 10.

He said he was not happy with the team’s play, but did not fault Maradona.

“Logically, I’m not content with the football we’re playing, but you can look at football from many angles,” he said. “From the fans’ view … from the economic side. There are many factors in play.”

Team leader and midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron was outspoken after the victory, offering little support to Maradona or Grondona.

“There’s nothing to celebrate. From Grondona on down, it’s all bad,” Veron said. “We suffered, we hung in there and in the end we were able to win, but we have much room for improvement. Now the coach can take the time he needs to correct what needs to be corrected, and put together a team for the World Cup.”

Veron also confirmed what many watching the team have also noted.

“In terms of players we have some of the best, but we are not a team,” Veron said.

Maradona shrugged off Veron’s criticism and accused the media of “inventing” his confrontations with AFA technical secretary Carlos Bilardo, who coached him on Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning squad in Mexico. Bilardo has tried to lend a guiding hand to Maradona behind the scenes.

“With Bilardo, we’ve never fought. We have to resolve a mountain of things,” Maradona said.

Thursday’s Argentine newspapers were still critical despite the victory.

“This is just a part of the story,” Clarin said. “There’s still a lot to do. The first thing was to beat Uruguay, but it was a poor game in which Argentina seemed content with a draw.”

“If the way the team played yesterday was because it was an emergency, OK,” Clarin added. “But if this is a long-term situation, we have problem.”