ZURICH, June 13: Diego Maradona says he accepts some of the blame for Argentina’s shock first-round exit from the World Cup.

“I blame myself. Yes, I, too, am to blame for the failure,” he wrote in a column for Switzerland’s Blick newspaper on Thursday after the South Americans crashed out.

“During the match against Sweden I kept having the same thought: Why did you not fly to Japan to support your team? Players like Batistuta would have wanted me to be there.”

Blick said Maradona watched on television from his new home in Cuba rather than attend the games.

He decided not to travel despite being given belated permission to attend the event after Japan initially barred him because of his history of drug abuse.

Argentina drew their final game with Sweden 1-1 after a 1-0 defeat to England and a 1-0 win over Nigeria.

Midfielder Pablo Aimar said before the Sweden game that Maradona, “the greatest idol we have”, would boost the team with his presence.

England and Sweden reached the second round but Maradona was unimpressed. “The Swedes will not be world champions. That would be ridiculous,” he said, adding: “Everyone gets a second chance, in football as in life, the chance for revenge. One day Argentina will be on top again.”—Reuters