Batista confirmed as Argentina coach

Batista confirmed as Argentina coach

The Argentinian Football Association confirmed Sergio Batista as the head coach of the national team on a permanent basis on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old has been given a contract to the end of the qualification period for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, which will be extended to include the finals should they qualify for the tournament in Brazil. Batista, who took the Under-23 side to gold at the 2008 Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing, had been in caretaker charge since Diego Maradona left the post following the Albiceleste's run to the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.

Under Batista's interim stewardship, the team recorded two friendly wins and one defeat, beating the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in August and world champions Spain 4-1 the following month, before suffering a 1-0 defeat in Japan. Batista said: "I'm very happy and I thank Julio (Grondona, AFA president) and the officials.

"This is a big responsibility. I'm looking forward to carrying on working the way we've been doing and working towards our aims. This is the best for me. Now I'll think only of working hard."

He added: "I had faith on myself. When you take up a coaching role at a team, you set yourself goals and the biggest one is the national team. Maybe I reached this quite early, but I don't want to waste this chance. The biggest goal is getting to the World Cup and winning it."

Over the coming day Batista is expected to name his squad for the upcoming friendly against Brazil in Doha, Qatar, on 17 November.