Global soccer / Argentina's Racing may sign Matthaus

Former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus is close to agreeing to coach Argentine side Racing Club, the former player said yesterday.

Racing announced a deal with Matthaus two days ago at a press conference, but the 48-year-old insisted no contract had been signed yet.

Matthaus coached last season at Maccabi Netanya, where he led the squad to a disappointing fourth-place finish and was sacked at season's end.

Matthaus captained West Germany to World Cup victory in 1990 and had a successful playing career at Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, but has enjoyed relatively little success as a coach.

His only title was with Austria's Salzburg in 2007 in conjunction with Giovanni Trapattoni, his former coach at Inter, but he was fired soon afterward.

Previously, Matthaus managed teams in Serbia and Brazil, as well as the Hungarian national team.

One of Argentina's so-called "Big Five" clubs with seven league title to its name, though only one since 1966, Racing is joint bottom of the country's top league on just five points from 10 matches, and has yet to win this season.

"The contract is 80 percent finalized. There are still issues to be clarified," Matthaus told Germany's Bild newspaper, adding that modeling work for his 21-year-old wife Liliana was also a factor.

"I have to talk with her first. She will only come if she can work as a model there," he said.

In an interview published yesterday, Matthaus said a number of details have yet to be taken care of before he could set off for Argentina.

"There have been talks with the club. But nothing is decided yet," he told the sports magazine Kicker.

"Many things have to be considered around such a move. I need to know what kind of perspective the club offers, and not just short-term. I need some time for that," he said.

Racing Club president Rodolfo Molina had said on Saturday that Matthaus was due to arrive "next week" to take over from Ricardo Caruso Lombardi, who resigned two weeks ago.