Argentine football icon Diego Maradona received a royal welcome in Beijing yesterday, where he arrived for a series of charity events with the Chinese Red Cross Foundation
Argentine football icon Diego Maradona received a royal welcome in Beijing yesterday, where he arrivedu00a0 for a series of charity events with the Chinese Red Cross Foundation. He was mobbed by journalists and has been hailed in the national press as the "King of Football"
He immediately quieted speculation that he had come to coach China's national side, a team which has suffered a string of poor performances and failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa.
"I have no intention (coaching China's national team), but if the question is raised, then we can sit down and discuss it... I'd like to do something for Chinese football," Maradona told reporters.
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During his stay in China, the former World Cup-winning captain was scheduled to play in a series of charity matches.
When asked why Chinese football was so languishing, the 50-year-old Argentine said: "I have no idea why China with 1.3 billion people cannot organise a (strong) national team."
"China is certainly a strong nation in the world and is on the top of the world in a lot of areas except for in football.
"What I want to tell Chinese fans, is that you can play football just like us, Chinese football has a lot of potential, (but) right now it is like a sleeping child."
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