Maradona renews contract with Venezuela's Telesur network

CARACAS (Reuters) - Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona renewed his contract with Venezuelan television station Telesur, which in April had invited him to be a commentator during the World Cup in Brazil, the station said on its website.

(Reuters)

Maradona will also star in a movie that Telesur is preparing about the show "De Zurda" or "From the Left", which he hosted in collaboration with Uruguayan journalist Victor Hugo Morales during this year's soccer championship.

Maradona visited Venezuela last week and appeared at an official event alongside President Nicolas Maduro, who replaced late socialist leader Hugo Chavez after the latter's death in 2013. Chavez and Maradona, who shared leftist politics and opposition to U.S. foreign policy, were friends.

Maradona was a star of the Argentine Boca Juniors team, and later a prominent player for Barcelona in Spain and Napoli in Italy. He led the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Before becoming a commentator on Telesur, Maradona had been the coach of Argentina's national squad and had a television show in Argentina.

Telesur is a regional station based in Caracas that was created by the late Chavez.

(Reporting by Corina Pons; Writing by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Tom Heneghan)