Diego Maradona is set to become the coach of Al Wasl after the Dubai-based club confirmed they had reached an agreement with the legendary Argentinian.
Maradona spent the weekend in the United Arab Emirates, where he met with officials to sign a contract that will keep him at the club for two years.
Al Wasl said in a statement this afternoon that Maradona had signed a two-year deal and would be unveiled at a press conference early next month.
“Al Wasl Sports Club is proud to announce the appointment of Diego Armando Maradona as head coach of Al Wasl Football Club, in a momentous development that will see the football legend lead the team for the next two seasons,” the statement read.
Vice-chairman Marwane Bin Bayat, who led the negotiations with Maradona, added: “Al Wasl Sports Club has become synonymous with achievements of this calibre, and we are very pleased to be welcoming Maradona to a long line of accolades in the club’s history.
“This partnership embodies the vision of the club as it embraces forward-thinking developments in the region to establish unprecedented standards for the sport.”
Maradona, who is not expected to take up his post until next season, also met the Al Wasl players at a training session on Saturday evening before flying out of the Gulf country late yesterday afternoon.
The 50-year-old has not coached since he guided Argentina to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup™ last summer, losing his job after they were thumped 4-0 by Germany.
Al Wasl sit fourth in the UAE Football League table with five games remaining and have been without a permanent coach since they sacked Brazilian Sergio Farias last month.
