Buenos Aires (ANTARA News) – Argentina have named Sergio Batista, a midfielder in their victorious 1986 World Cup team, as coach of their Olympic side for this year`s Games in Beijing.
“It will be Sergio Batista,” Argentina Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona told Radio La Red in an interview.
“We intend to send the strongest possible team but we have to see how things work out.”
Batista is currently coach of Argentina`s Under-20 team.
Grondona added that Alfio Basile, coach of the senior side, would be concentrating on the World Cup qualifiers.
Argentina won the gold medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 when Marcelo Bielsa, who was also senior coach at the time, led the team to glory with a 1-0 final victory over Paraguay.
The Olympic tournament is restricted to Under-23 teams although each can field up to three over-age players.
Argentina playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme has already said that he would like to play in Beijing, Reuters reported.(*)