Segura, who has left his post as chairman of relegated Argentinos Juniors to take charge of the AFA, said they would be talking with Gerardo Martino to take over the national team after World Cup coach Alejandro Sabella stood down.
“On a motion (tabled) by Club Atletico Boca Juniors, the executive committee tonight (Tuesday) unanimously approved … to ratify Mr Luis Segura as president of the Argentine Football Association until October 2015,” the AFA said in a statement on its website (www.afa.org.ar).
Sabella never had the chance to officially announce he would not continue as Argentina coach after steering the team to the World Cup final last month because Grondona, who had headed the AFA for 35 years, passed away last Wednesday when Sabella had a news conference scheduled that he then had to cancel.
Local media reported eight days ago that Sabella had told Grondona he was standing down and Segura said after Tuesday’s executive committee meeting that the AFA was going to offer the position to former Newell’s Old Boys and Barcelona coach Martino.
“In principle, the idea is (to meet with Martino) on Thursday. If he meets the AFA’s expectations, the idea is to close a deal,” Segura said.
“It’s a decision that Julio had made when he was still alive,” he told reporters outside the AFA’s downtown headquarters on Tuesday night.
“I think he’s a coach with a high consensus. (His contract) would be until the next World Cup.”
Martino already has national team experience with Paraguay, having led Argentina's neighbours to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 2010 and the Copa America final against Uruguay in 2011.
Argentina’s next international commitment is a friendly on Sept. 3 in Duesseldorf against Germany, the team they lost to in the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro on June 13.
(Additional reporting by Luis Ampuero; Writing by Rex Gowar; editing by Justin Palmer)
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