MEXICO CITY: Argentine football great Diego Maradona on Friday appeared to backtrack on plans to quit as head coach of Mexican second division side Dorados at the end of the season, Xinhua news agency reported.
Maradona said earlier this month that he was considering leaving because of alleged bias from referees towards opposition teams.
However, the 58-year-old changed his tone after Dorados’ 1-0 home victory over Cimarrones de Sonora in their Ascenso MX quarterfinal first leg.
“I have to talk to (team owner) Jorge Alberto Hank, because I have ideas for the next tournament for Dorados. I feel an attachment with the club and I’ll defend my players to the death,” he told reporters.
The result extended Dorados’ unbeaten run to 10 matches.
The 1986 World Cup winner took charge of Dorados in September, guiding them to last season’s playoffs following six wins in seven matches.