May 8, 2002

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentina is again set to retire Diego Maradona's No. 10 national team jersey, a soccer official said Wednesday.

Julio Grondona, president of the Argentine soccer association, said the move would take effect from next month's World Cup.

The move had been proposed last year, when it was expected that the jersey would be withdrawn after Maradona's farewell game on Nov. 10, but FIFA said it would not allow it.

Grondona told reporters Wednesday that "there will be no difficulty" in retiring the jersey now, although he admitted FIFA has not formally given its approval.

When the idea was first proposed, it proved highly controversial as some former national team players criticized the move as excessive.

Others, including Maradona, said it was a fitful tribute for the player who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and a second-place finish four years later.

Maradona began his international career in 1977 and scored 34 goals in 91 games for his country. He was banned from soccer for a second time after testing positive for drugs during the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Maradona, who is in drug rehabilitation in Cuba, retired from professional soccer in 1997.

Also Wednesday, Grondona said the salary dispute between national team coach Marcelo Bielsa and the Argentine soccer association (AFA) had been resolved.

"The (AFA) treasurer told me that's how it is. We have done things as we promised," Grondona said.

Bielsa is owed some dlrs 490,000 by the AFA, and the soccer body had been trying to write-off some of that debt.

Reports said Bielsa would get the full amount, but that some of the money would be paid in pesos, rather than dollars, as the coach's contract stipulates.

Argentina devalued the peso in January and its value has plummeted 70 percent since then.

On Monday, Bielsa said he had never considered quitting over the issue before the World Cup, but it is possible that he may quit the post after the

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