Maradona: Al Wasl need to improve defence

Diego Maradona held a pre-season conference at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel on The Palm on Sunday to discuss Al Wasl club's prospects for the forthcoming campaign. Addressing media for the first time since his club's friendly matches over Ittihad Kalba, which they won 3-1 and the 2-1 loss against Dibba Fujairah, Maradona said: "The friendly matches were very useful the results were not something that made me very happy - whatever the results you always learn from matches - the loss was more useful to us because we now know the mistakes we have to correct." "I know we have to improve defence a lot to improve their support of midfield to go quickly forward in order to strike." Of Maradona's assessment of what will constitute success, he said: "For me success is about winning the next match - it is not about the championship it is about step by step gradual improvement day by day." "I will field a team that can defend the colours of Al Wasl - in football someone who says they will be champion is not telling you the truth who is champion will be he who is without injury, with many players, who are lucky that sometimes doesn't get a penalty against them - there are a lot of things that work to allow you to be a champion. We are going forward step by step and I'm happy with all my players at the moment." Maradona also spoke out in favour of Eisa Ali, his choice of captain and announced the spine of his team was Eisa, Darwish, Donda, Olivera, and Majid Nasser. Subsequently, Maradona spoke out in displeasure of Majid Nasser going to play for the UAE national team while he was still recovering from injury.