MARADONA SACKED!!!

Diego Maradona will not continue as Argentina coach after the association's executive committee unanimously agreed not to renew his contract.

Maradona met with the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona on Monday in a bid to resolve his future, with reports suggesting a new four-year deal was on the table. The 49-year-old, who took over as coach in October 2008, had said he would sign the contract as long as his entire backroom staff were retained.

Grondona revealed details of the talks to his board today and the AFA have confirmed they have decided not to renew Maradona's contract.

A brief statement on the AFA website read: "The president of the Argentinian Football Association, Mr Julio Grondona, made the members of the executive committee aware of the conversation with Mr Diego Maradona, setting out the points which had come out from the meeting.

"The executive committee unanimously resolved not to renew the contract with Mr Diego Maradona as coach of the Argentina national football team."

Grondona denied that Maradona had been sacked, but confirmed that differences over the make up of his staff led to a parting of ways. "It is difficult to agree," Grondona said. "The hardest difference to agree on was changing some of Diego's staff. Nobody has been sacked. A contract has not been extended because the conditions were not the suitable."