MADRID, Spain: Real Madrid's Argentine players welcomed new national coach Diego Maradona, although his first trip abroad on official team business was already causing a stir among them.

Maradona arrived in the Spanish capital on Wednesday to assess the European-based players he hopes will help the country qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

However, while full of praise for Maradona's hiring, Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze revealed that his decision to strip Inter Milan's Javier Zanetti of the captain's armband was being questioned.