AP

Buenos Aires, Nov 15: Argentine Football Association boss Julio Grondona says he will not give in to national coach Diego Maradona's push to have Oscar Ruggeri as an assistant.

"I have a personal problem with Ruggeri that I will take with me to the grave," Grondona told Radio 10 on Friday. "Apart from personal issues, though, the football leadership in general doesn't agree with the nomination."

The ongoing tension over Maradona's appointment of Ruggeri as assistant coach forced Maradona late Thursday to deny widespread speculation in the local media that he was going to resign after little more than a week as coach.

Ruggeri, Maradona's teammate during Argentina's triumph at the 1986 World Cup, tried to tone down the tension on Friday.

"I'll do anything for the national team, but I don't want Diego to have any problems," he said.

Ruggeri acknowledged that in the past he has said Grondona wasn't fit to lead the powerful federation, among other negative comments.

But he brushed them aside, saying "a lot of people have said a lot worse about Grondona and now they're working alongside him."