Diego Maradona has accused the Argentine Football Association (AFA) of lies and betrayal after his contract as national team coach was not renewed.

Maradona claimed national team manager Carlos Bilardo “betrayed him” and off “working in the shadows to oust him” after Argentina’s quarterfinal exit at the World Cup 2010. Maradona also accused AFA president Julio Grondona of lying about his future.

Maradona’s twenty months reign as Argentina manager ended on Tuesday after he rejected the demands to change his backroom team. “Grondona told me that he wanted me to continue as the coach, but that seven people from my coaching squad would have to go, that was impossible for me to agree to do” Maradona said on Wednesday.

“He knows that it is impossible for me to stay as coach without my colleagues. When he told me this, he was saying that he didn’t want me to carry on in the job.”

At the press conference Maradona read from a prepared speech for 12 minutes before leaving without taking questions as many of the assembled journalists applauded him.

Argentina under 20 team coach Sergio Bautista has become caretaker boss following Madonna’s departure. Bautista played alongside Maradona at the 1986 World Cup which Argentina won, and the manager was Bilardo.