New Argentina manager Diego Maradona touched down in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday ahead of his first game in charge.

The 48-year-old football legend will be in the spotlight of the world when Argentina faces the Scots at Hampden Park on Wednesday in an international friendly.

His plane, which arrived via Madrid, landed shortly after 11am local time but Maradona decided not to stop and speak to the waiting press as he made the short walk from the terminal to a waiting coach.

That sparked a media scrum as the waiting reporters and photographers were kept away from him by police.

The 1986 World Cup-winning captain said little and asked how it felt to be in Scotland, he answered in Spanish: "Contento (happy)."

His only words in English were: "I don't speak English."

To the delight of the Scottish fans, Maradona, after climbing onto the coach, returned to the entrance to sign a few items of memorabilia including a poster of his famous "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final.

Maradona, with very limited coaching experience, was appointed head coach of Argentina at the end of last month.

He spent much of the week embroiled in a row with Argentine Football Federation chairman, Julio Grondona, who has turned down his choice of Ruggeri as assistant coach.

That sparked widespread speculation among local media that Maradona could even quit, but he made clear that he would never consider it.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2008)