Maradona claims Albiceleste throne

Considered by many the finest footballer ever to play the game, Argentina legend Diego Armando Maradona is just days away from fulfilling his greatest remaining ambition: coaching his beloved Albiceleste. The mythical No10 will be officially named as the 42nd senior national team coach in Argentinian Football Association (AFA) history on Tuesday.

"Maradona has been offered the role of national team coach and Carlos Bilardo that of technical secretary," AFA spokesperson Ernesto Cherquis Bialo told FIFA.com. "All that remains is to hammer out certain details: who is going to be working with them and what their duties, powers and obligations will be. Once these are decided, the Executive Committee will meet over the course of Monday and Tuesday to approve the project, as laid down in the (AFA) statute."

What better birthday present for El Pelusa, who turns 48 this Thursday? In an intriguing quirk of fate, Maradona's first match in charge will be against Scotland in Glasgow in November, in the very same city and against the very same opponents where El Diez scored his first senior goal for the Albiceleste in June 1979.