Diego Maradona open to coaching UAE XI

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Diego Maradona says he would be open to leading the United Arab Emirates national team.

The Argentine great, who since May has coached the UAE professional side Al Wasl, has been mentioned as a potential candidate in the local media since Srecko Katanec of Slovenia was sacked following the team’s 3-1 loss to Lebanon in September.

The UAE has since lost three matches under an interim coach.

Maradona did not say Wednesday whe-ther the country’s football association had approached him about the job, though he said he would accept the post “with pleasure.”

He insisted his focus is on Al Wasl but the 1986 World Cup-winning Argentine said he could envision doing both jobs simultaneously.