Former on-field legend Diego Maradona is committed to similar success just off the field as the new coach of the Argentina, speaking out Thursday to TyC TV to defend his credentials and praise both the players and former Argentina coach and current general manager Carlos Bilardo.
“I have proved to myself that I can lead a group, and I know that Bilardo will show me if I’m doing it wrong,” admits Maradona, who confesses that he is “awake at 4 a.m. designing a team.” Still, the confident former playmaker is prone to second-guessing himself because “all the teams I thought of are so attacking” in speaking of a proposed ultra-offensive 3-3-1-3 formation.
“For so many years I haven’t been this happy, this committed to a project,” adds Maradona. Of his talented group of players, he gushes, “I speak with [the team] and they are so focused on the matches to come. They are desperate to prove their World Cup credentials. When I started, the squad was confused and flat. They felt they’d done enough. Since then we’ve worked with our minds and with our blood.”