Argentina planning England match next year: Agent

Buenos Aires: Big soccer rivals Argentina and England could play a friendly on February 9, 2011, the man charged with organising the South American team’s international calendar said on Thursday.

“In February we have a match with England. It hasn’t been decided yet where (it will be played) and Denmark came up as a possible venue,” Guillermo Tofoni, a FIFA agent who sets up friendlies for Argentina, told Reuters. “Questions of protocol between the two associations still have to be done but the match could go ahead.” Argentina and England have a rich and controversial past, especially at World Cups. In their last match, a friendly in Geneva in 2005, the English came from behind to win 3-2. Tofoni said Argentina also had a scheduled tour of the United States from March 24-28 but did not reveal who they would meet there. Argentina face world champions Spain at the River Plate stadium in Buenos Aires next Tuesday in their second match since being knocked out by Germany in their World Cup quarter-final in July. They beat Ireland 1-0 in Dublin last month under interim coach Sergio Batista who took over from Diego Maradona and could be ratified in the post later this year. Maradona did not have his contract renewed after the South Africa finals. Argentina play further friendlies this year against Japan in Tokyo on Oct. 8 and arch-rivals Brazil in Qatar on Nov. 17. Bureau Report