World Football

By Brian Homewood

BUENOS AIRES, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Argentina FA president Julio Grondona has concentrated on bringing stability and calm to the national side in his 29 years at the helm, but is set to end his traditional conservatism by appointing Diego Maradona as coach.

While Argentina's neighbours have fired coaches left, right and centre, all but one of those appointed by Grondona has completed the four-year cycle ending at the World Cup and some have lasted longer.

The coaching staff would also include Carlos Bilardo, coach from 1983 to 1990, as general manager, and possibly former defender Jose Luis Brown and midfielder Sergio Batista in a move reuniting members of Argentina's last World Cup-winning team in 1986.

Maradona and Bilardo met Grondona on Tuesday to discuss their project and a decision is expected within the next week.

Grondona, who has had public spats with Maradona in the past, denied it was a spur of the moment idea and said that he had wanted to appoint Maradona earlier but could not because of the former number 10's personal difficulties.

"I have wanted Maradona to be coach of the national team since 1979," said Grondona in a radio interview on Wednesday.

Maradona's eventual appointment would he a huge personal achievement for a man who spent 10 days in intensive care in 2004 with respiratory problems, has also been hospitalised with alcohol-induced liver problems and undergone an operation for obesity.

But it would send the Argentine team, who are in a far from comfortable position in the World Cup qualifiers, on a journey into the unknown.

GALVANISING PRESENCE

Maradona is held in awe by the current generation of Argentine players and his commitment to the light blue and white shirt is unquestioned.

He will go to any lengths to win for his country, as proved by his notorious Hand of God goal against England in 1986.

Argentina have looked lethargic in recent internationals, at one stage drawing six in a row this year, and his presence would certainly galvanise the team.

But he is also impulsive, unpredictable and temperamental and his coaching experience runs to a total of 23 games with modest provincial club Deportivo Mandiyu and then Racing Club, both in the mid 1990s.

There is no telling how he may react, for example, if a refereeing decision goes against his team, and his presence could attract unwelcome attention when they travel abroad for World Cup qualifiers.

Maradona's presence, though, would significantly increase Argentina's pulling power at friendly internationals, a lucrative market for South American national sides.

Argentina still have eight World Cup qualifiers to play and face a bumpy ride.

Only four of the 10 teams in the South American group qualify for South Africa and Argentina are third, ahead of Chile only on goal difference and seven behind leaders Paraguay.

There are plenty of pitfalls on the way with a match at home to Brazil, plus visits to high-altitude Bolivia and Ecuador as well as neighbours and bitter rivals Uruguay.

Argentine media rushed to declare Maradona coach on Tuesday afternoon even before any official annoucement had been made.

This enthusiasm does not appear to be shared by the public.

Online polls conducted by the daily newspapers La Nacion and Clarin put the disapproval rates at 72.3 and 79.3 percent respectively.

"Maybe he's risking too much, as always in his life, " wrote Daniel Arcucci, a columnist for La Nacion. "Even his status as a myth."