MINSK: Diego Maradona is coming to Belarus as chairman of a small top-flight club with big European ambitions.
The Argentine legend posted a photo on Instagram late Tuesday of what Dinamo Brest said was a three-year contract to serve as chairman of the board.
“Thanks for the trust and for thinking of me,” Maradona wrote in his post.
Dinamo Brest also posted pictures of the 1986 World Cup winner holding up a green and red Belarusian flag while wearing a matching black T-shirt and shorts.
Maradona stepped down as coach of UAE second division club Al-Fujairah last month after failing to secure their promotion.
Dinamo Brest were acquired by new owners three years ago who are intent on breaking the historic dominance of the country’s two big sides: Dinamo Minsk and BATE Borisov.
The 57-year-old will be in charge of the team’s transfer policy and strategic development.
“Will Maradona be able to help Belarusian — particularly Brest — football? I think the answer is obvious,” said club spokeswoman Olga Khizhinkova.
She also insisted that the global star intended to spend most of his time in the small city on Belarus’s southwest border with Poland.
“We are already looking for a place for him to live,” Khizhinkova said.
“We expect that if not the whole time, he is going to spend a substantial portion of his time in Brest.”
Dinamo currently sit eighth in the 16-team Premier Division.
The club were formed in 1960 and spent their first 32 years in the Soviet Union’s second and third divisions.
Dinamo were automatically promoted to top-flight Belarusian football when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
They finished third in the inaugural Belarusian season but have never qualified for Europe.
The team’s new owners have told Belarusian media that they intended to acquire new talent and invest significant resources in the club this year.
Khizhinkova said Maradona will come to Brest after completing a Russia World Cup assignment for Venezuelan television.
Diego Maradona goes from managing in the UAE to chairman of Belarus club
Diego Maradona goes from managing in the UAE to chairman of Belarus club
- World Cup winner signs three-year contract to serve as chairman
- Dinamo Brest sit eighth in the 16-team Premier Division.
Yamal penalty rescues Barca from defeat at Newcastle
- The Liga champions still have work to do when the sides meet again on March 18, but will leave Tyneside relieved after a sub-par performance from Hansi Flick’s side
NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom: Lamine Yamal’s penalty with the last kick of the game rescued Barcelona from defeat at Newcastle in a 1-1 Champions League last 16, first leg draw on Tuesday.
The Magpies were headed for a night to savour at St. James’ Park when Harvey Barnes opened the scoring on 86 minutes.
Yamal had been a peripheral figure but showed the composure of one of the world’s best players from the spot after Dani Olmo was tripped by Malick Thiaw deep into stoppage time.
The Liga champions still have work to do when the sides meet again on March 18, but will leave Tyneside relieved after a sub-par performance from Hansi Flick’s side.
Newcastle’s bid to make the quarter-finals for the first time was dealt a blow before kick-off when Anthony Gordon was forced to start on the bench due to illness.
Only Kylian Mbappe has scored more than Gordon’s 10 Champions League goals this season and the England international’s threat was badly missed as Newcastle a[pplied early pressure.
Eddie Howe had billed this game as the biggest in the club’s history and the desire to make amends for a FA Cup exit to Manchester City and a dissapointing Premier League season showed.
Howe made a bold choice with Gordon’s replacement as William Osula came in at the expense of club record signing Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa up front.
Osula’s pace troubled Barca’s high defensive line early on, but Newcastle’s best attempt to break the deadlock before half-time came from a corner.
Joan Garcia spilled his attempt to save Sandro Tonali’s header and needed to be rescued by a goal-line clearance from Pau Cubarsi.
The home side continued to press for a breakthrough in the second period.
Anthony Elanga should have picked out Barnes for a simple finish when his low cross was cut out by Garcia.
It took nearly 70 minutes for the visitors to create a clear sight of goal when Robert Lewandowski prodded wide from Raphinha’s cross.
That was Lewandowski’s final act as he was replaced by Marcus Rashford, who scored twice when the sides met at St. James’ Park in the League Phase.
Howe also turned to his bench in search of a winner with Gordon among those introduced.
The offside flag came to Barca’s aid when Joelinton thought he had opened the scoring after Barnes struck the post.
The visitors’ desire just to see the game out at 0-0 was evidenced when Ronald Araujo tried to hold up play by rolling back on the field after going down injured.
Italian referee Marco Guida refused to let the Uruguayan defender immediately back onto the field and Newcastle took full advantage as Barnes was unmarked at the back post, where Araujo should have been, to convert Jacob Murphy’s cross.
Much of Newcastle’s fine work was undone by one mistake as Thiaw flicked out a leg to bring down the jinking Olmo inside the box.
Yamal coolly sent Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way to leave Newcastle needing heroics in the Camp Nou next week to reach the last eight.
