Diego Maradona and his Argentinian World Cup squad declined an invitation by the country's president Cristina Kirchner to be received at the presidential palace becaused they deemed themselves unworthy, the president revealed.

The President - who succeeded her husband Nestor as head of state in December 2007 - also said that she had tried to speak to Maradona following the 4-0 hammering by Germany in Saturday's quarter-final but the former playing great had been too upset to talk.