The idol of Argentine soccer Diego Maradona becomes president of Dynamo Brest

The idol of Argentine soccer Diego Maradona assumed on Monday as the new president of the Belarusian club Dynamo Brest, with which he signed a three-year contract, and said he hopes that the strongman of the country, Alexander Lukashenko, becomes a fan.

Maradona caused a sensation in Belarus by taking charge of a club that was rescued from bankruptcy two years ago. Now he plans to move to Brest after saying goodbye to Al-Fujairah FC, the Emirati team he was coaching.

On Monday he arrived in Belarus after serving as ambassador of FIFA in the World Cup held in neighboring Russia, where his behavior during the match between Argentina and Nigeria caused surprise and concern worldwide.

"I want to take a picture with Lukashenko. I hope that after that, he becomes our fan," commented the legendary Argentine "number 10" in a press conference after landing in Brest to the cheers of twenty fans, and after receiving the traditional welcome with bread and salt.

"I can live without any problems in Belarus," he added.

Dynamo Brest has never won a league title and a local fan told Reuters that until a couple of years ago, the club had so little money that fans were sometimes asked to raise funds for the players' kits.

However, with the arrival of a new investor from the United Arab Emirates, the team has already won two local cups and plans to build a new stadium with a capacity of 30,000 spectators.

"As the boss, Diego will live in Brest, I believe that people will come from all over the world to see the match," said the club's development director, Viktor Radkov. He also mentioned that Maradona is expected to move to a mansion with a small gym in August. (D)