An explanation for why Diego Maradona picks Jonas Gutierrez at right-back

He’s only bloody scared of him

If you had been baffled by the inclusion of Newcastle midfielder Jonas Gutierrez in Argentina’s World Cup squad and then in their starting line-up as a defender then be baffled no more. It turns out Diego Maradona is petrified of the man they call Spiderman.

The Argentina coach inadvertently let this slip when interviewed about Argentina’s forthcoming opponents. He said: “I’ve never been afraid of anything or anyone unless they wear a mask.”

So Gutierrez has pretty much got Maradona and his mask phobia over a barrel: pick him in the team or be stalked by the man in the mask.