ARGENTINIAN Football Association president Julio Grondona has revealed the impending appointment of Diego Maradona as national team coach is the realisation of a long-held dream.

Maradona revealed on Tuesday night he is ready to accept an offer made by Grondona, and all that remains is for the deal to be rubber-stamped at a meeting of the AFA's executive committee next Tuesday.

Maradona, 48 on Thursday, will take charge of the national team, while the man who coached him to success at the 1986 World Cup, Carlos Bilardo, is to work alongside him as a general manager.

"Since 1979, I've been looking forward to having Maradona as coach of the national team," Grondona told Radio La Red today.

"Maradona marked a turning point in Argentinian football."

Maradona has just half a year of coaching experience - having taken charge of Deportivo Mandiyu for two months in 1994 and Racing Club for four months in 1995 - but even though Bilardo is far more experienced, Grondona insisted Maradona will have control of the team.

"Maradona is the number one," he said. "Bilardo will be the director of national teams. He will be in charge of making everything work properly.

"Putting two heavyweight men together is not easy, but we are trying to find excellence. We have tried to solve personal differences thinking about the national team."

Maradona will face the challenge of helping Argentina improve their form, having won just one of their last seven World Cup qualifiers to lie third in the South American Zone.

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