Diego Maradona will coach Dorados after being appointed by the second-tier Mexican side on Thursday.
Maradona’s last coaching job was with Al Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, where the 57-year-old Argentine great left the second-division team in April, while he signed a three-year deal to become president of Belarusian outfit Dinamo Brest in May.
But the former Argentina boss and World Cup winner is back in management, this time in Mexico with Dorados – the club where Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spent six months as a player in 2006.
Maradona replaces Francisco Gomez, who oversaw a winless start to the Ascenso MX season following three losses and three draws in the opening six matches.
Regarded as one of the all-time greats, Maradona – who scored 34 goals in 91 appearances and helped Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 – has also spent time in charge of Mandiyu de Corrientes, Racing Club and Al Wasl.
Maradona led Argentina at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the South American giants were humbled 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. One of Maradona’s trademark moves was dribbling full-speed on the right wing, and on reaching the opponent’s goal line, delivering accurate passes to his teammates.
Another trademark was the rabona, a reverse-cross pass shot behind the leg that holds all the weight. This maneuver led to several assists, such as the cross for Ramón Díaz’s header against Switzerland in 1980. He was also a dangerous free kick and penalty kick taker. His free kick technique, which often saw him raise his knee at a high angle when striking the ball, thus enabling him to lift it high over the wall, allowed him to score free kicks even from close range, within 22 to 17 yards (20 to 16 metres) from the goal, or even just outside the penalty area