World’s greatest footballer wants to hang with Argentina’s least favourite world leader.

Diego Armando Maradona, who like Pele travels the world meeting people, although unlike Pele only gladhands unstable political leaders, has announced the next name on his wish list - President Ahmedinejad of Iran. “I’ve met Chavez and Fidel,” said the big-haired one to an Iranian representative at the weekend, “so that just leaves Ahmedinejad for me to meet.

Mr Maradona has been invited to Iran, and declared himself in solidarity with the Iranian people “with all my heart.”

As usual, Mr Maradona’s words went down like an anvil in Argentina, especially amongst that country’s large Jewish population, who were targeted by terrorists in 1994 in a bomb blast that killed 85 people. Mr Maradona seems to have conveniently forgotten the widely-held belief that the terrorists were believed to have been acting on orders from Iran.

Mr Maradona has yet to reveal which mass-murdering maniac he will be dressing up as for New Year’s Eve.