Football: Maradona named sports ambassador

DUBAI: Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona, sacked in July as coach of Dubai’s Al Wasl, has been appointed as Honorary Ambassador of Sports in Dubai under a deal inked at a media conference. In terms of the one-year contract signed between Maradona and the Dubai Sports Council, the Maradona will leverage his experience to develop the game of football in the Gulf emirate. “The Dubai Sports Council and I have discussed a few ideas regarding what should be done in the coming period in the field of sports to discover new talent in the coming generation of local athletes,” said Maradona. “This was the greatest incentive for me to accept this mission. All I want is a break for a year at least. This does not mean that I am retiring from coaching. I accepted Dubai’s offer because I love the city.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2012.