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New Argentina coach Diego Maradona has dismissed suggestions he will resign if he does not get his choice of assistant.

Maradona, who was installed as coach on November 4, has reportedly been in dispute with Argentinian Football Association boss Julio Grondona, who does not approve of his choice of Oscar Ruggeri.

But the 48-year-old told www.tycsports.com: "I have never thought about resigning."

The former Napoli and Barcelona star and his squad are expected to arrive in Scotland on Sunday ahead of next week's friendly at Hampden Park and is keen to have his 1986 World Cup winning team-mate by his side.

He had been reported as saying: "I will be the trainer of Argentina with my technical staff I want to work with, otherwise I will not be coming to Glasgow."

AFA technical secretary Carlos Bilardo, however, was confident Maradona will not carry out his threat.

He said: "He won't resign. I have spoken to Diego and told him he has to go slowly. There are 500 people he can choose to assist him.

"When I coached the national team (between 1983 and 1990) I had to change my whole staff after four or five months of work.

"But Diego wants them all at once."

Grondona would not reveal the reasons for his dislike of former Argentina defender Ruggeri.

"It's my problem," he said. "I don't want to talk about this."

While Maradona continues to negotiate with Grondona over his long-term assistants, Alejandro Mancuso and Miguel Angel Lemme will be beside him for next week's friendly.

Mancuso is a close friend of Maradona, who has been asked to join the permanent staff, while Lemme was Bilardo's assistant during his spell as Argentina coach.

Sporting Life / Eurosport