| Diego Maradona pays for his controversial tactics |
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Maradona met with Julio Grondona on Monday, two days after he had gone on national TV to talk at length about all the things he'd find completely unacceptable were they to be put on the table. In essence, Maradona made clear that any changes to his backroom staff – "even the kitman... or the masseur" – would not be tolerated. If the AFA removed anyone Maradona trusted, or if they tried to introduce anyone he didn't want, he insisted, he'd be walking. Grondona's opening gambit during Monday's two-and-a-bit hour chat? According to Maradona, it was: "First up, the kitman's got to go..."
Not only that, but Maradona had made that public declaration on El Show Del Fútbol, a football show on which former international defender Oscar Ruggeri is a prominent panellist. Ruggeri was Maradona's choice for assistant coach, but Grondona never allowed him anywhere near the AFA. Once the national team were safely in South Africa, though, Ruggeri joined the TV team and was given a press pass to go out there as a "journalist". Indeed, he was the only journalist Diego allowed into the training sessions with the national side in Pretoria. Grondona wasn't impressed. Add to this the fact that the show is broadcast on TyC Sports, with whom the AFA have had a deep-running row for the last year, since the government allowed the association to break the broadcasting contract for national first division matches, and you've got a whole lot of internal politics Maradona didn't play too smartly. On the subject...
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