Dubai: Al Wasl fans have probably never had a more engrossing and sleepless weekend in their entire lives.
What started on Saturday as a seemingly routine tour of their stadium by the legendary former Argentine 1986 World Cup winner Diego Maradona, had quickly snowballed — by Monday — into a surreal announcement by the club that the iconic ‘number 10' had indeed signed a two-year contract to coach the Etisalat Pro League side.
In the type of statement that most clubs could only dream of releasing, it was simply said: "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".
Obviously hopeful, despite a stalled and infrequent coaching career that hasn't quite yet — and probably never will — eclipse Maradona's illustrious, but equally controversial playing days, Chairman of the Board of Al Wasl Sports Club, Marwan Bin Bayat said: "We are proud to be joining the ranks of international football with our latest endorsement of one of the greatest sports figures of all time."
Bin Bayat added: "Maradona has led his teams to victory, and his enormous contributions to our players will be influential in inspiring football legends among our own. We dedicate this paramount turn of events to our loyal fans and thank the inspiring leaders of Al Wasl Sports Club who have been a beacon for what we can achieve and a catalyst for more success in the future."
Valuable contract
Details of Maradona's contract will be revealed during a press conference that is expected to be held in his presence during the first of week of June. Bin Bayat did, however, confirm that the value of the contract is worthy of the stature and reputation of the great legend.
Reaction from UAE football players, coaches and officials has been remarkably guarded, some even citing the marketing value of this deal as being of more benefit than the game's actual professional development. Fabio Cannavaro's Al Ahli signing was a frequent case in point among the doubters.
That Maradona joins a list of other much more qualified coaches to have washed up on these shores and failed in spectacular fashion has not escaped cynics.
A list of big names from master tacticians like Don Revie to Carlos Alberto Parreira and Valery Lobanovskyi to Roy Hodgson have been chewed up and spat out at the national team level alone. Meanwhile, players on their last legs like Cannavaro to George Weah have also arguably failed to achieve anything more than a few initial international headlines and raised attendances.
The truth is coaching roles here can be quite demanding and usually timed by the stop watch or first groan from the stands. Twelve managers have come and gone this season alone and unlike Maradona most have actually served decades in coaching with trophies to show for their toils. True, but none had as big a playing career as Maradona.
