We had expected, half-hoped, he would be explosive, a fighting bantam.

Instead, Diego Maradona was left crushed, dejected, battered and beaten, almost unable to cope with the emotions eating away at him.

While Lionel Messi wept in the Argentina dressing room, Maradona's sombre demeanour was that of a man who had suffered a death in the family.

First announcing his resignation, then changing his mind half-way through the press conference in the Green Point Stadium, Maradona was suddenly a shrunken man, publicly exposed.

But this battering was the chronicle of a footballing death that had been long foretold, the natural outcome when you gamble on someone who is many thing but never a coach.

His squad was a doughnut, plenty up front and at the back but a hole in the middle, after he omitted Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti from his 23. And like a doughnut, it was eaten, chewed up and swallowed by the rampant Germans.

Amid the pain, Maradona attempted to back his players, especially Lionel Messi, who left the tournament with 30 shots to his credit but not a single goal.

Maradona said: "Messi didn't score, either because the chance didn't come, or the goalkeepers were good. But he played a great World Cup.

"To see him crying in the dressing room, saying to me that he deeply regrets what has happened, means that anyone who says he didn't honour the Argentine colours would be stupid.

"I don't know why we haven't seen the superstars taking control of big tournaments any more, like I did in the past.

"It could be due to the way we played. It's a different type of game right now. I have no explanation. We were selfish. These days, maybe its more about the collective.

"Players want to do more with their team-mates. In the past, it was about star players being selfish. Wayne Rooney and Messi will see that, when the team needs them, they will be there to play for the team."

Rooney will have scant consolation from the knowledge that, just like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he failed to command the stage but England's anguish over their defeat by the Germans was dwarfed by the reaction from the Argentines.

Carlos Tevez admitted: "Losing like that really hurts. I'm personally wounded. I feel the pain. We were appalling.

"Sometimes you fail to live up to your own expectations. I really don't now why this has happened. They totally dominated us, and we never had enough possession. On top of that, our counter-attacking play was atrocious, but I'm not pointing the finger at anyone."

Tevez did not need to. The finger was being pointed already.

While Maradona received a hug from his daughter, he was left seeking consolation only from the hurt in his players' eyes.

"The idea that a player playing abroad, a millionaire, wasn't interested in playing for Argentina has been dispelled," added the Argentine legend. "I had players from Europe playing here and giving their all.

"I thanked them in the dressing room for the great job they've done, for all these days we've spent together and reminded them that they've behaved as true professionals. We're just sad.

"Now I have to check with my family and the players about what I should do. There are a number of things I have to consider.

"But, regardless, I realise that as coach and as a former player, the type of football people like is this type. Go out and express yourselves. Argentina can't play a different style."