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Porta: Diego Maradona drove me out of Al Wasl
The 28-year-old returned to Uruguay's Nacional after just three months in the UAE, and blamed the controversial Argentine trainer for his swift departure from the club
06-Feb-2012 8:00:00 PM
By Daniel Edwards
Nacional striker Richard Porta has criticised Al Wasl boss Diego Maradona, claiming the colourful coach forced him out of the Emirati institution.
28-year-old Porta, who has returned to Uruguay after an unsuccessful loan spell in the Middle East, was signed by Maradona in October 2011 but lasted just three months with the club before being declared surplus to requirements.
As he prepares for Nacional's domestic and Copa Libertadores campaigns in the coming year, Porta made no attempt to hide his anger at the Argentine legend and at the treatment he received at Al Wasl.
"Maradona told me that the directors made the decision, but when I spoke to them they told me that he no longer wanted me," the forward told Subrayado on Monday.
"Before that he had allowed part of his coaching team to be fired. If you let people close to you be taken away, what authority do you have to ask for a player to stay?"
Porta also criticised the coach's training methods, alleging that there was far too much focus on physique and fitness.
"There was a lot of work done on the physical side, and on the pitch hardly anything. He relied on what us foreigners could already do," the ex-River Plate and Belenenses man revealed.
Born in Australia, Porta started his career in the Socceroos' youth set-up, and despite switching to Uruguay at Under-20 level, he has declared that he would consider representing his birth nation should he receive an international call.
28-year-old Porta, who has returned to Uruguay after an unsuccessful loan spell in the Middle East, was signed by Maradona in October 2011 but lasted just three months with the club before being declared surplus to requirements.
As he prepares for Nacional's domestic and Copa Libertadores campaigns in the coming year, Porta made no attempt to hide his anger at the Argentine legend and at the treatment he received at Al Wasl.
"Maradona told me that the directors made the decision, but when I spoke to them they told me that he no longer wanted me," the forward told Subrayado on Monday.
"Before that he had allowed part of his coaching team to be fired. If you let people close to you be taken away, what authority do you have to ask for a player to stay?"
Porta also criticised the coach's training methods, alleging that there was far too much focus on physique and fitness.
"There was a lot of work done on the physical side, and on the pitch hardly anything. He relied on what us foreigners could already do," the ex-River Plate and Belenenses man revealed.
Born in Australia, Porta started his career in the Socceroos' youth set-up, and despite switching to Uruguay at Under-20 level, he has declared that he would consider representing his birth nation should he receive an international call.
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