Dubai: The moment Al Wasl fans had been waiting for all summer finally arrived last night when Diego Maradona’s private jet landed at Dubai International Airport at 11pm, in time for the Argentine legend to commence his two-year tenure with the club.
Walking through the Private Majlis terminal of the airport, Maradona was greeted by fans and club officials.
The new head coach of Al Wasl, renowned in world football as one of the greatest players of all-time after Argentina’s 1986 World Cup triumph, will now meet with staff and coaches to discuss the success of pre-season training so far under assistant Ali Hassan, and make plans for how the team’s regime will proceed into the 2011/12 Pro League campaign.
Maradona will also sit with Al Wasl officials to assess the team’s development and discuss potential candidates for the fourth foreign player to join the club.
So far Maradona has roped in Uruguayan striker 29-year-old Juan Manuel Olivera from Penarol after 25-year-old Chilean midfielder Edson Puch was already signed from Universidad de Chile. Omani defender Mohammad Shaiba has been retained, while Mariano Donda, a 29-year-old Argentine midfielder for Godoy Cruz is widely speculated to be the fourth overseas import edition.
Maradona was appointed as head coach of Al Wasl on May 16 and was officially unveiled on June 4 at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah. He spent the following weeks scouting players at the recent Copa America in Argentina, where he was linked with a return to the Argentine managerial post after Sergio Batista’s departure. Fans will just be happy the moment they thought might never come is already upon us.
