Buenos Aires, Argentina (My Sportsbook) - Diego Maradona has agreed to become the new coach of Argentina's national team, it was confirmed Thursday.

Maradona, a legend on the field and troubled off it, will be appointed manager on Tuesday, according to the Argentine Football Association website. Carlos Bilardo will be Maradona's assistant coach.

Argentine star Lionel Messi spoke about Maradona at a press conference Thursday and believed the two-time World Cup finalist could lead his country back to the top of world soccer.

"We all love him because of who he is. I am sure he will try to get across to us everything that he has gone through, and everything he did as a player. It is very important for him to build a strong group and lead us to win things," Messi said.

Maradona will replace Alfio Basile, who recently stepped down following a tough stretch in 2010 World Cup qualifying. Argentina made the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup.

"We're holding meetings trying to lay out the coaching team. I'm anxious for it to become official," Maradona told reporters outside his house Wednesday.

Maradona led Argentina to the World Cup crown in 1986 and to the final in 1990. He will take over a team trying to regain its glory days, and has the likes of Messi and Sergio Aguero to mold a winner.

Messi led Argentina to the gold medal at the recent Summer Olympics and despite recent criticism from Maradona, was happy about the move.

"He has always shown affinity toward all of the players, and he has always been very close to me," Messi said. "Despite things he might have said, he is still a great person."

Maradona has very limited coaching experience, spending 1994 with Deportivo and 1995 with Racing. He left both Argentine clubs before his contract expired.

His problems off the field include testing positive for cocaine in 1991. He has long struggled with drugs and alcohol, not to mention a battle with obesity.

"We shouldn't look at what he experienced outside of football, what he means for us is what he was as a footballer and is as a person," Messi said.