There are three kinds of managers in international football – the quiet, deliberate and calculating tactician like Spain’s Vicente del Bosque, the modern and stylish German Joachim Loew, and the flamboyant, jovial player’s coach who rides the tide of emotional ups and down that only international football can bring us. Of course, Argentinian Diego Maradona is in the latter category, and despite wrangling the powerhouse in blue and white stripes back on track in this year’s world cup, today he was unceremoniously dumped by a group of men he has known as friends and team-mates for many years.

The World Cup-winning-star of yesteryear claims that national team director Carlos Bilardo and association president Julio Grondona plotted to fire him following Argentina’s ungraceful 4-0 loss to Germany in the quarter-final, even though outwardly there were signs that he would be re-signed as the national manager. “They called me to put out a fire, and we put it out,” Maradona said. “Grondona lied to me. Bilardo betrayed me. While we were still in mourning, Bilardo worked in the shadows to throw me out.” According to Maradona, his continued employment was tied to firing seven of his assistants. Maradona refused to do that, according to media reports, and the decision was made to not bring him back.

From a personal standpoint, I hate to see him go, he brought life to a somewhat dull tournament in South Africa this summer. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing someone like Maradona dancing after a goal, mucking it up with the fans, and claiming to “run naked on the pitch if Argentina wins the tournament?” (Thankfully we were spared that…)

In the end, Argentina had nearly enough to win it, but fell short against a surprisingly tough German team that over achieved with youth. Lionel Messi did not have a particularly great tournament, and that may have been the difference, but plenty of other stars, like the often unstoppable Gonzalo Higuaín, and the fleet footed Carlos Tévez stepped up and took La Albiceleste right up to the base of the mountain. Take away Maradona’s passion and, in my opinion, they wouldn’t have made it that far.