Football / World Cup USA '94: Clubs showing their hand

DIEGO MARADONA, who came into the tournament without a club, said yesterday that he had received three offers as a result of his form in Argentina's opening games, writes Phil Shaw.

He named the interested parties as Napoli, whom he helped to the Italian championship before receiving a 15-month ban for drug infractions; Boca Juniors, the Buenos Aires team where he began his career; and the Bolivian club, Bolivar.

Maradona, who received a facial injury during Saturday's 2-1 victory over Nigeria, will set a record for appearances in the finals as and when he next appears. He is currently level on 21 with Uwe Seeler (West Germany) and Wladislaw Zmuda (Poland).

Maradona was critical of the Nigerians' crude tackling during Saturday's game. 'I'm unhappy by the way the Nigerians hit us,' he said. 'It was like going out to fight with Mike Tyson, that's the only way to describe it.'