It was said on fox sports Argentina that former gold olympics football winner in 2008and Argentina manager, and world cup winner in Mexico 86, Sergio Batista, has been linking to the nz national team, any news over there ? He also coached in China a year ago, so he knows the region
Is it the same Sergio Batistuta who lives (now) permanently in Perth and refuses any involvement with local (Aust) football, according to SBS "World game" programme? Or did I confuse him with any other argentinian greats of the 80s-90s era?
Sergio Batista is not your man living in Perth - this former Argentinian international managed Argentina as recently as July 2011 when he was sacked after a poor Copa America - that tournament was actually on Sky TV in NZ - I remember it well...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Batista
Manager of Shanghai Shenua in Chinese Super League May 2012 - July 2013 (their ninth manager in six seasons !!!):
Seems unlikely to me he would accept such a reduction in status and wages as to coach NZ !!!
But then again NZF may seem supremely competent and a good employer after his bad experience in China:
"Former Argentina international coach Sergio Batista has decided enough is enough and has resigned as Shanghai Shenhua manager after going unpaid for four months, according to local reports.
Batista is just one of several staff and players at Shenhua whose wages are in arrears, due to the long-running shareholder conflict between owner Zhu Jun and the remaining shareholders, a bloc of state-owned enterprises.
And, as predicted my many fans and media, Batista will be succeeded by former Henan Jianye and Beijing Guoan manager Shen Xiangfu, who, in a rather peculiar appointment, joined Shenhua at the start of this season as “Chinese player head coach."
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You are thinking of Gabriel Batistuta, the great Argentinian striker who lived briefly in Perth but went back to Argentina way back in 2007:
"Batistuta retired in 2005 and moved to Perth, Australia, but moved back to Argentina in 2007. Despite having completed his coaching badges in Argentina, he currently has no involvement with football (instead he prefers to play polo and golf). He expressed an interest in coaching Australia's national team and Argentina's team.[18] During the 2006 FIFA World Cup he worked as a commentator for Televisa Deportes. Batistuta currently runs his own construction company in Argentina. He also worked as technical secretary in the professional football club Colón, joining the club's staff in January 2012, and leaving at the end of the 2012–2013 season."