DUBAI Diego Maradona's manager on Wednesday dubbed as shameful the treatment of the Argentine football legend over an aborted visit to the Persian Gulf emirate of Dubai to play in a lucrative testimonial match.

"Diego is not responsible for any of the mistakes and cancelations and wants to make it very clear that he was always willing and ready to come to Dubai," said Guillermo Coppola, Maradona's manager for the past 16 years.

"This is a shameful way to treat somebody as famous as Diego," Coppola said.

Maradona, 40, has failed to fly into Dubai to seal the contract to play in the testimonial on four different dates, leading to the cancelation of VIP airline seats for him, his wife and manager, as well as VIP limousines and luxury hotel suites, AFP reported.

Organizers of the March 8 testimonial for a retired Emirati international said they had now set their sights on other stars to fill the boots of Maradona, who has been caricatured as a pot-bellied Cuban cigar smoker in an Emirati paper.

Jalfar insisted on Tuesday that 1990 World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus of Germany, 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year George Weah of Liberia and Croatian striker Davor Suker, who top scored at the 1998 World Cup, were ready to play in the money-spinning match.