Argentina coach Diego Maradona has revealed that he intended to build his team around Boca Juniors playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme.
Riquelme famously refused a call-up from Maradona at the start of the latter's reign and the coach says that forced him to change his plans for the way Argentina play.
"I had thought about a team with Roman, but I had to adapt that to a team without Roman - I called him up and he didn't want to come," he told Radio Concepto.
Riquelme says he can never play for Argentina again while Maradona is in charge, citing "irreconcilable differences" between the two.
Nevertheless, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuaín, Sergio Aguero and Diego Milito, Maradona has an array of attacking talent at his disposal for the World Cup.
Source: PA
