Maradona pledges to give heart and soul to new club Gimnasia

After his appointment as Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata's new coach, Diego Maradona has vowed to work with his "heart and soul" for the club.

Diego Maradona during his time at Dorados

Diego Maradona has pledged to work with all of his "heart and soul" for Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata after taking over as the club's head coach.

Former Argentina star Maradona last coached Mexican side Dorados, but left in June due to health reasons.

The 58-year-old former Argentina boss has now stepped back into a coaching role, this time with struggling Superliga team Gimnasia.

Following the announcement, Maradona used his official Instagram account to share his delight at the new post.

"Finally, now it is official. I'm very happy to be the new coach of Gimnasia," Maradona's post read.

"I want to thank president Gabriel Pellegrino for this opportunity and I want to tell the fans that I will work with all my soul and heart for El Lobo. A hug and thank you very much!"

View this post on Instagram

Finalmente, ahora sí es oficial. Estoy muy feliz de ser el nuevo DT de @gimnasia_oficial. Quiero agradecerle al presidente Gabriel Pellegrino por esta oportunidad, y decirle a los hinchas que vamos a trabajar con alma y vida por El Lobo. Un abrazo y muchas gracias!

A post shared by Diego Maradona (@maradona) on Sep 5, 2019 at 2:01pm PDT

 

Gimnasia is bottom of the Superliga with just one point from its first five games this season, with Racing Club set to be Maradona's first opponent.

The club's president Pellegrino believes Maradona's appointment is the boost Gimnasia requires following its poor start.

"I have a huge satisfaction because I found a father figure for the club," Pellegrino said.

"We talked about the details and he was constantly talking about the fans. It's all positive. We are in a difficult time and we need someone really strong.

"We thought of him, we called him and he was the first to say that he wanted to take care of this moment for Gimnasia."