Maradona says he could be next coach of Venezuela

Former Argentina footballer and manager Diego Maradona says he can lead Venezuela's national team to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Giampiero Sposito / Reuters

CARACAS // Argentine legend Diego Maradona has said he could be the next coach of Venezuela, the only South American country that has never made it to the World Cup.

Cesar Farias quit in November last year after the Venezuelan team missed out on the Brazil finals.

The Venezuelan Football Federation has not made any announcements about a replacement despite rumours that several coaches of local teams are being considered.

“I look for serious projects ... and think that yes, if it’s with security, then maybe,” World Cup winner Maradona, who is a sporting ambassador for Dubai, said on regional television network Telesur, when asked about the possibility.

Maradona, whose well-known leftist politics made him an ally of the country’s socialist government, said he planned to visit President Nicolas Maduro after the World Cup.

“We plan to talk a bit about everything, including the team,” he said. Rumors of him leading Venezuela’s selection surfaced last week in local media, but Maradona had responded by saying he was unaware of any such proposal.

Maradona was a close friend of Venezuela’s late President Hugo Chavez.

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