Maradona Sacked

Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona's reign as Argentina coach has ended, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has confirmed.

Maradona, 49, admitted he wanted to stay in the job ahead of a meeting with AFA president Julio Grondona on Monday.

But, after Maradona rejected demands to change his backroom team, the AFA voted not to renew his deal and made under-20 coach Sergio Batista caretaker boss.

Argentina crashed out of the 2010 World Cup finals at the quarter-final stage, where they lost 4-0 to Germany.

Grondona said: "It is difficult to agree. The hardest difference to agree on was changing some of Diego's staff.

"Nobody has been sacked. A contract has not been extended because the conditions were not suitable.

"When you cannot agree with somebody you love, you are not happy at all.

"I always want to talk to him [Maradona], but sometimes it is difficult because this is not the best moment."

However, AFA general secretary Jose Luis Meiszner was less saddened by the situation, telling cable channel C5N: "I would be a hypocrite if I didn't admit there was a general dislike for several aspects of the cycle that ended with the World Cup.

"We did not see any intention to show humility, to say that things should have been done better.

"There was no evaluation, no review, no conclusions. These are the things you have to think about in order to think about the future."

Although appearing defensively frail at times, Maradona's side topped Group B in South Africa with victories over Nigeria, South Korea and Greece.

They then overcame Mexico 3-1 to reach the quarter-finals.

But the emphatic nature of their exit at the hands of the Germans gave fresh ammunition to the critics of Maradona's tenure, which included a fraught qualification campaign. Since taking the job in November 2008, Maradona, considered by many as the greatest footballer in history, won eight and lost seven of his 15 games in charge of La Albiceleste.