Maradona wants to keep coaching UAE team

Buenos Aires, July 12 (IANS) Diego Maradona has said he would like to continue as coach of Dubai's Al Wasl team despite the club's announcement of his dismissal.

Maradona, expected to meet with the club's board of directors, said Wednesday he was confident that they would be "willing" to keep him and they would "reach a good deal," reports Xinhua quoting local media.

"I would like to say that I have always wished to continue in this marvellous land that has received me so well. I am especially grateful to the sheik (Ahmed bin Rashid) for having welcomed me and given me the opportunity to coach a team from the United Arab Emirates," Maradona said in a statement.

Maradona last year signed a 4.1 million-dollar two-season contract with Al Wasl Football Club and the contract ends in 2013.

But after the club ended its 12-team league season in eighth place, with no championship wins, the board, headed by Rashid, announced via Twitter it was letting Maradona go.

Maradona said he had already talked with club owners about the key issue of buying talent and improving Al Wasl's performance on the field.

"In the past few days, we have been talking and trying to reach a deal on buying players, a necessary requirement for winning championships that make the club's fans happy and make sheik Ahmed happy, too," Maradona said.

"Regretfully, the club has announced something I don't agree with, because my wish was and is to continue coaching Al Wasl and if the club can't buy players due to a lack of budget, there is always the possibility of talking it over with the board and finding solutions," Maradona added.