Controversial and combative as ever, Diego Maradona made his Mexican coaching debut Monday with a 4-1 win for his new club, the second-division side Dorados.
Alternately grinning and defensive, the Argentine took a chance to hit out at his critics after Ecuadoran forward Vinicio Angulo scored a hat trick to give Dorados the win over Cafeteleros of Tapachula.
"Some people said Maradona's useless. There were a lot of stupid people going on television to fill up the time," Maradona told a packed post-match press conference in Culiacan, Sinaloa, his new club's home base.
"I hope they'll come to the pitch now and look at my record and see what we're actually doing, see that I know how to do this."
The former Argentina manager, who has also coached Al Wasl and Fujairah in the UAE, vowed it was just the beginning for the struggling club, who leapt from 13th place in their 15-team league to 10th with the win over last-place Cafeteleros.
But not all Dorados fans are convinced.
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Read more
Diego Maradona's journey from UAE through Belarus takes him to Mexico
Diego Maradona's Fujairah timeline: From shock unveiling to departure by 'mutual agreement'
Maradona decision to leave Fujairah 'made in mutual agreement', lawyer says
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Maradona arrived to a hero's welcome last week, but there have been questions over whether he is the right man for the job.
"I'm not expecting much. Maradona has never shown himself to be a good coach. I think there are better coaches than him in Mexico," said Kevin Juarez, a 26-year-old fan, ahead of the match.
"The one good thing is that Maradona's arrival has drawn the world's attention to Dorados," he told AFP.
Maradona once coached the Argentine national team, including at the 2010 World Cup, but the rest of his managerial career has lacked the sparkle of his playing days.
Other fans in Sinaloa are more optimistic.
"With Maradona's help, this club can gain a little character and get promoted," said fellow fan Hector Cuen, 40.
"I can't see anything bad in Maradona coming to Culiacan."
Even El Diego only managed to fill Dorados's 20,000-seat stadium to about half capacity - though that was still more than double the average attendance at the club's most recent home matches.
Maradona, however, was unfazed by the empty seats. "Dorados fans are amazing," he said.
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
SPECS
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Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
More from our neighbourhood series:
if you go
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
