March 23 – Diego Maradona has reportedly threatened to resign as a FIFA global ambassador unless an Argentine rival is removed from his post in the national federation.
Maradona is apparently angry at the recent election of an old adversary Marcelo Tinelli as president of the National AFA Selection Commission.
Shortly after Gianni Infantino became FIFA president, Maradona confirmed he had taken an ambassadorial role, expressing his delight at joining a “clean and transparent” governing body.
But now he says he will step down because of Tinelli’s appointment. Best known as an Argentine TV host, Tinelli is also vice-president of the San Lorenzo club but Maradona says he is not qualified to play a senior role in the national game.
Last summer a normalisation committee was parachuted in by FIFA to run the affairs of the Argentinian federation and Maradona was quoted as saying: “I called Infantino and I told him that I was resigning because I do not understand Tinelli’s appointment. He does not know anything about football.”
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