FACTBOX - New Argentina Coach Diego Maradona

A ball genius, the supremely gifted Maradona led Argentina to their second World Cup triumph in Mexico in 1986, his crowning glory.

Diego Maradona was appointed coach of Argentina on Tuesday.

Here are some details about Maradona:

* COACHING ARGENTINA:

-- Maradona, initially seen as a rank outsider in the race to replace former coach Alfio Basile, has had only two short stints as a coach in the mid 1990s, with Deportivo Mandiyu and Racing Club. His 23 games produced three wins.

* THE BEST IN THE WORLD:

-- A ball genius, the supremely gifted Maradona led Argentina to their second World Cup triumph in Mexico in 1986, his crowning glory.

-- Maradona scored the notorious "Hand of God" goal as Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-finals and led Argentina's 3-2 victory over West Germany in the 1986 final.

-- The stocky Argentine also inspired southern Italian club Napoli to their first league titles in 1987 and 1990 and the UEFA Cup in 1989 during a decade at the top of his sport.

* FALL FROM GRACE:

-- Maradona's fall was sudden and swift. After he had coaxed a mediocre Argentina team to their second successive World Cup final in Rome in July 1990, he failed a doping test in Italy in 1991.

-- He was suspended for 15 months and was also investigated over alleged Mafia ties and later arrested in Argentina for cocaine possession.

-- He tested positive for drug use during the 1994 World Cup and was suspended from the tournament. He came back with Boca Juniors in 1995 but failed another drug test two years later before retiring.

* LIFE DETAILS:

-- The fifth of eight children of a factory worker, Maradona was born on Oct. 30, 1960, in a shantytown on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. He made his debut with Argentinos Juniors in 1976, days before turning 16.

-- He helped Boca Juniors win the Argentine championship in 1982 and was transferred to Barcelona for a then record $3 million. He moved to Italy's Napoli in 1984.

-- In 1998, he was given a two-year suspended jail sentence for an incident four years earlier when he fired an air pistol at reporters who were doorstepping his home.

-- He was hospitalised in Uruguay in 2000 with heart problems and tests revealed cocaine use. He underwent drug rehabilitation in Cuba.

-- Appearing overweight, Maradona spent 10 days in 2004 in intensive care in Argentina with heart and breathing problems. He was confined to a psychiatric hospital, then returned to Cuba for more treatment.

-- Slimmer after a stomach-stapling operation, Maradona launched a successful TV talk show in Argentina in 2005 that lasted for one season.

-- In May 2007 a clean-shaven Maradona vowed to get fit and stay healthy in his first public appearance since he was hospitalised for alcohol-induced hepatitis. He said then his dream was to be coach of the Argentina national team.

-- Maradona appeared in Cannes last May to promote a new documentary about his life by Serbian film director Emir Kusturica.