Coach Maradona to decide on future next week

Diego Maradona will decide whether to stay on as Argentina coach after a meeting next week, the head of the country's football association said on Tuesday.

Argentina's former captain had been due to meet football association (AFA) chief Julio Grondona this week but the meeting was postponed after Maradona decided to travel to Venezuela where he was expected to meet leftist President Hugo Chavez.

"I got in touch with Diego to arrange a meeting with him on Monday, that's the only thing that's true," Grondona was quoted as telling state news agency Telam.

He dismissed reports the AFA had already arranged a contract for Maradona to stay on as coach until 2014.

The AFA said last week Maradona would be formally invited to carry on as coach until the World Cup in Brazil.

He has kept a low profile since returning from South Africa where his highly-fancied Argentina team were thrashed 4-0 by Germany in the World Cup quarter-finals.