Will Maradona be good enough as manager in Argentina?
Diego Maradona said on Sunday that the 2-1 defeat in his debut as Gimnasia y La Plata coach, caused him an ache in "the soul", due to the way in which his team could not reach the deserved draw against the current champion, Racing Club
Diego Maradona, during a press conference after the Gymnastics match. / Via REUTERS
Reuters | Ramiro Scandolo
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The presence of Maradona, which a week ago was presented in the stadium in front of a crowd, generated a boost that improved the team in comparison to previous meetings, although it was not enough to overcome the Argentine soccer champion.
Diego González and Matías Zaracho were the authors of Racing's goals, while the goal of Gimnasia was scored by Matías García, who wasted a clear chance at the last minute to match the score.
"I had the bitterness of not being able to tie in the end," said the 58-year-old coach at a press conference.
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"It does not hurt my head, it hurts my soul, because I do not think that the champion was more than us," added the former soccer player, who was the center of attention in the game played in the city of La Plata.
Maradona, who lived the game with intensity and questioned the arbitration, did not consider that the defeat was a "step back" and said he will continue to work hard to get Gimnasia out of the last position in the standings, after five defeats and a draw in six dates.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game for what Diego means and the enthusiasm it generates. It is not unnoticed to have him on the other side of the line," said the experienced Gabriel Pillud, one of the Racing players who after the match asked Maradona for a photo with him.
