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Argentina have appointed 80-year-old former coach Cesar Luis Menotti as director of national teams, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) said on Monday.

Menotti, who led Argentina to their first FIFA World Cup title in 1978, will be charged with overseeing the 10-year plan unveiled last November.

The plan is aimed at finding a “footballing identity” for the two-times World Cup winners.

“Menotti will begin the job on Feb. 1,” the AFA said of the former FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Mexico coach.

“In the coming days, he will meet with the backroom staff of the men’s team to start work on future organisational issues.”

Argentina have not won a major international title since 1993, when they lifted the Copa America.

They were dumped out of last year’s FIFA World Cup finals in the round of 16.

Lionel Scaloni took over as interim coach after the 2018 tournament in Russia and recently had his contract extended until this summer’s Copa America in Brazil.

The team’s biggest star Lionel Messi is on a self-imposed sabbatical from international duty after scoring only one goal at the Russia 2018 World Cup.

(Reuters/NAN)