Maradona given FIFA ambassadorial role

[February 10, 2017]  BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Former Argentina captain Diego Maradona has been handed an ambassadorial role by the game's global governing body FIFA.

"Now it's official," the 1986 World Cup winner said on his Facebook page on Thursday. "Finally I can fulfill one of the lifelong dreams; to work for a clean and transparent FIFA alongside people who really love football."

The ex-Boca Juniors, Napoli and Barcelona forward, 56, was a harsh critic of disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who is serving a six-year ban for ethics violations.

The world body is recovering from the worst graft scandal in its history, with dozens of people, including ex-FIFA executive committee members, indicted in the United States since May 2015.

Maradona, who has 91 caps, has been invited back into the FIFA fold thanks to a warm relationship with Blatter's successor Gianni Infantino, who was elected in February last year.

(Writing by Andrew Downie; Reporting by Luis Ampuero; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Argentinian soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona attends the Italiansoccer Hall of Fame 2017 event in Florence, Italy, January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Leonardo Bianchi