Diego Maradona: I want to spend my life in Dubai

Football legend Diego Maradona has spoken of his love for Dubai and suggested he would like to spend the rest of his life there.The Argentinean star, who recently had a stint as manager of Dubai football club Al Wasl, praised the way of life and attitude of people in the emirate.His comments, made during an interview with United Arab Emirates (UAE) newspaper Alittihad, were reported by Emirates 24/7."I found everything is beautiful in this country, whether dealing among the people, the discipline or the way of life," Maradona said."The people here are good, affectionate and caring and there are no gripes that disturb your life here."He added that he feels "closely associated with the people in the UAE given the good treatment I receive".Maradona left Al Wasl in July 2012 after 14 months in charge but returned to Dubai late last year when he accepted a one-year contract with the Dubai Sport Council to become the emirate's honorary ambassador of sports.Although his time as Al Wasl manager was not regarded as a success, he told the newspaper he has an affinity with the people of the UAE and feels like he is "one of them".The 53-year-old has a villa in the Jumeirah neighbourhood and revealed he has recently been watching the UAE national team compete in the Gulf Cup tournament in Bahrain.Maradona, who captained Argentina to victory at the 1986 World Cup and also managed his country from 2008 and 2010, remains one of international football's biggest characters. He was named joint player of the 20th century by FIFA, along with Brazilian legend Pele.He is not the only sports star to recently praise Dubai, as Indian golfer Jeev Milka Singh told the European Tour website earlier this month that the emirate is "fast becoming one of the most important centres for world golf".