Will Maradona save Belarusian football?


This is not a fake. Brest “Dynamo” announced the signing of contract with Diego Maradona — one of the greatest players in history. However, in the Brest-based club the Argentinian world champion will be responsible for strategic issues and the development of the children’s academy. What will this bring to the Belarusian football?

The best number ten in the history of football, the author of the most beautiful goal of all times and now the board chairman of the Brest “Dynamo”. All this isl Diego Armando Maradona. Perhaps soon he will give a press conference for the Belarusian audience.

The idea to invite Diego Maradona to the leadership position arose at the very top of the FC Dynamo. The contract for three years, which comes into effect after the World Cup in Russia, has been signed in the United Arab Emirates, although rumors of this appeared already a few days ago.

“Diego’s main task is to interact with all the structures of the club and participate in the club’s life. We are waiting for his advice and consultations at the coach meetings. We are expecting help in the sports directorate — he will take part in the transfer campaigns,” said Volha Khizhynkova, spokesperson for Dynamo-Brest.

In addition, the Dynamo Brest emphasizes the importance of Maradona’s participation in the life of the children’s academy– for future players it will be an additional motivation to see one of the best football players in history as an example. However, experts primarily talk about another component in the appointment of Diego Armando.

“This is a big PR stunt, a big hype. Even in other countries they will learn that there is a Belarusian championship, there is Belarus in general, there is a football club “Dynamo-Brest”. So I think that it’s very good. And, of course, the fans will come to see maybe not Maradona, but this project as such,” believes Alyaksei Vazhnik, PR-manager of FC Krumkachy.

To ride this wave of attention, Dynamo plans a number of different events with the participation of Diego Maradona — from press conferences to games at the stadium in Brest.

According to representatives of Dynamo, the only thing that bothered Maradona before signing the contract was the Belarusian climate: is it not too cold in Belarus?

Image is what the Brest Dynamo has been working hard on recently. The club has already held high-profile marketing events in the form of training with the team of the famous German football player Kevin Kuranyi and the drawing of the Renault car among the club fans. But the current move is unprecedented in the history of Belarusian football.

“Maradona is a much stronger brand than the Dynamo-Brest brand, so it will promote Brest in the world football. Even the Russian media are going crazy about this. People discuss this at work, in offices, on the streets — this is news, which made the Belarusians talk again about football,” said Mr Vazhnik.

Thus, the new appointment of Diego Maradona is not only an image plus for a particular club, but, first of all, a way of drawing attention to the entire Belarusian football, which in recent years couldn’t boast of great popularity even among the inhabitants of our country.

Zmitser Mitskevich, “Belsat”

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