BUENOS AIRES, April 28 -- Football legend Diego Maradona, the manager of struggling Argentinian club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, has praised a decision to suspend relegation from the country's top division until 2022.

The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) confirmed the move on Tuesday as it canceled the rest of the top flight season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The move spares Gimnasia from an almost certain drop to the second division.

"It's not the end that we would have wanted, but it's a good decision," the 1986 World Cup winner told Argentinian newspaper Clarin.

"We were convinced that we were going to avoid relegation anyway. But this is reward for a group that has given everything for this club."

Gimnasia needed a strong showing in the Superliga Cup to have any chance or remaining in the top tier under Argentina's complex promotion-relegation system that considers results over a three-year cycle. The Cup competition was aborted last month after just one round.

【体坛英语资讯：Maradona hails move to suspend relegation in Argentinian football】相关文章：

★ 体坛英语资讯：Powell lowers world 100m record to 9.74 sec

★ 体坛英语资讯：Beijing Olympic flame reaches India

★ 体坛英语资讯：Nothing guaranteed in group of death

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Miley Cyrus tops highest-earning-teens list

★ 体坛英语资讯：Russia through, champions bow out without win at Euro 2008

★ 体坛英语资讯：Llodra beats Soderling to win Rotterdam tennis title

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Xu Sanduo chosen as Baidu Logo Feature Person of the Month

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Craig trains for next Bond film

★ 体坛英语资讯：Chinas Zheng to miss World Cup qualifier

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Britney Spears to appear in new Pussycat Dolls