Diego Maradona’s faltering reign as Argentina coach would only be ended by the arrival of either Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary, team manager Carlos Bilardo said in a bizarre exchange with reporters.

“If Jesus Christ returned or the Virgin Mary, then I’d accept it. Otherwise, no,” said Bilardo.

Maradona skippered Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title when Bilardo was coach.

But the 48-year-old has come under intense pressure with the team’s 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign threatening to fall apart.

Since he took over, Maradona has overseen four defeats in six qualifiers, two of which came in the last week against Brazil and Paraguay.

Argentina are fifth in South American qualifying with only the top four guaranteed spots in the final; the fifth-placed team would have to face a play-off.

Maradona has two matches left – against Peru and Uruguay next month – to repair the damage.

“Diego deserves to be the coach,” added Bilardo. “But at the moment, he needs to show that he is the man.”

Argentina, who last failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1970, were in third place in qualifying when Maradona replaced previous coach Alfio Basile in October 2008.

© AAP 2012

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