Argentine legend says Messi is now ready to fill his famous boots on world stage

SHANGHAI - Argentina soccer legend Diego Maradona showed off his skills and love of charity in Shanghai on Tuesday, just a day after undergoing a kidney-stone operation.

Argentinian soccer legend Diego Maradona greets Chinese fans during a charity activity at the Peninsula Hotel in Shanghai, Jan 17, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Although he is no longer head coach of the Argentina national soccer team, the 51-year-old remains optimistic his compatriots can win the World Cup title again and is more than happy to see Lionel Messi follow in his famous footsteps.

"If Messi could surpass me one day, I will be very glad," said Maradona through a translator. "He is really now the world's best soccer player. If he surpasses me in the future, it will be a good thing for Argentine soccer. Besides me, if Messi could rise to such heights, it will do good for the development of soccer in our country."

The 24-year-old Messi, who just won the Ballon d'Or award for the third time, seems to have many of Maradona's attributes, but he has failed to translate them to the international stage for his county.

However, for Maradona, that is just a matter of time.

"There are good players in the Argentina national team and they have also strived to win the World Cup several times," said Maradona, who coached the national team from 2008-2010.

"Argentina has been away from (winning) the World Cup for a long time, and I hope they will win it back again. All the players deserve to win it, but not those officials of the Argentina soccer association."

Since last June, Maradona has been coaching Dubai club Al-Wasl. He said his experiences on and off the field have benefited his coaching.

"The unconventional and uninhibited way of living was a part of my life. I have experienced it, so I won't be like that now," he said. "That's why I know what kind of players are good and what are bad when I coach a team. I will develop those good things that I've done and avoid repeating the bad things. That's where my coaching experience comes from. I don't learn them from a book, but from my own experience. I hope to bring it to my players to help them grow up."

To fulfill a sponsorship commitment, Maradona came to Shanghai on Tuesday for a charity event held by Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot, despite kidney-stone surgery in Dubai on Monday.

Maradona raised one million yuan ($158,425) to support the children's aid program in China on Tuesday. While acting as an ambassador of the brand, he also displayed his passing and shooting skills to several Chinese children at the Bund in Shanghai.

"I'm satisfied with my performance today," he said after the event. "I will have a good rest after it and take pills on time. I hope I can recover soon."

While coaching an Asian club, Maradona is also paying close attention to soccer in China and he disclosed some Chinese clubs had contacted him about coaching them.

"I'm very interested in the development of Chinese soccer, and some Chinese clubs invited me to coach here," Maradona said. "But I had an agreement with the Dubai club first and I had to keep the promise. If the Chinese clubs contact me first, I would have liked to coach here."

He also noticed several players from Argentina, such as Luciano Olguin and Dario Conca, have joined Chinese Super League clubs in recent years.

"Bringing in high-quality players should benefit the development of Chinese soccer," he said.

"China is a country with such a great population, so I am very curious that such a big country cannot build a strong soccer team. The officials should think carefully about it and set up a team with a strong desire to win, which is the key point. The team should be confident and look forward to going further and further."

China Daily

Argentinian soccer legend Diego Maradona (left) plays with children at the Peninsula Hotel in Shanghai during a promotional event for Swiss watchmaker Hublot on Tuesday. [Photo/Agencies]