Maradona threatens to quit

Diego Maradona has claimed he will walk out on Argentina ahead of the friendly against Scotland at Hampden Park next week if he is refused permission to appoint Oscar Ruggeri as his number two.

Maradona, who was installed as coach on November 4, has reportedly been in dispute with Argentina FA boss Julio Grondona, who does not approve of the choice of Ruggeri.

The former Napoli and Barcelona star and his squad are expected to arrive in Scotland on Sunday but he said: "I will be the trainer of Argentina with my technical staff I want to work with, otherwise I will not be coming to Glasgow."

Argentina FA technical secretary Carlos Bilardo, however, was confident Maradona will not carry out his threat.

He said: "He won't resign. I have spoken to Diego and told him he has to go slowly. There are 500 people he can choose to assist him.

"When I coached the national team (between 1983 and 1990) I had to change my whole staff after four or five months of work.

"But Diego wants them all at once."

Grondona would not reveal the reasons for his dislike of former Argentina defender Ruggeri.

"It's my problem," he said. "I don't want to talk about this."

Will Diego Maradona quit as Argentina coach before the end of this year?