• UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
NewsExplored
  • UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • LinkedIn

  • Tumblr

  • RSS

Sports

Diego Maradona: Obituary – Argentina’s flawed football icon

Diego Maradona: Obituary – Argentina’s flawed football icon
Newsexplored
25th November 2020
ShareTweet
SubscribeRedditGoogleWhatsappStumbleuponPinterestDiggLinkedinTumblrTelegram
Views:
5

Dazzling, infamous, extraordinary, genius, outrageous. Diego Maradona. A flawed football icon.

One of the game’s most gifted players, the Argentine boasted a rare combination of flair, flamboyance, vision and speed which mesmerised fans.

He also outraged supporters with his controversial ‘Hand of God’ goal and plunged into a mire of drug abuse and personal crises off the pitch.

Short and sweet – The football genius

Born 60 years ago in a Buenos Aires shanty town, Diego Armando Maradona escaped the poverty of his youth to become a football superstar considered by some to be even greater than Brazil’s Pele.

The Argentine, who scored 259 goals in 491 matches, pipped his South American rival in a poll to determine the greatest player of the 20th Century, before Fifa changed the voting rules so both players were honoured.

Diego Maradona holds the World Cup aloft in 1986
Maradona holds the World Cup aloft in 1986

Maradona showed prodigious ability from a young age, leading Los Cebollitas youth team to a 136-game unbeaten streak and going on to make his international debut aged just 16 years and 120 days.

Short and stocky, at just 5ft 5in, he was not your typical athlete.

But his silky skills, agility, vision, ball control, dribbling and passing more than compensated for lack of pace and occasional weight problems.

He may have been a whizz at running rings round hostile defenders but he found it harder to dodge trouble.

Hand of God & Goal of the Century

Diego Maradona's famous 'Hand of God' goal
Maradona beat Shilton to the ball – and the goal was allowed to stand in 1986

Maradona’s 34 goals in 91 appearances for Argentina tell only part of the story of his rollercoaster international career.

He led his country to victory at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and a place in the final four years later.

data-ad-format="auto">

In the quarter-final of the earlier tournament, there was a foretaste of the controversy that would later engulf his life.

The match against England already had an extra friction, with the Falklands War between the two countries having taken place only four years beforehand. That on-field edge was to become even more intense.

With 51 minutes gone and the game goalless, Maradona jumped with opposing goalkeeper Peter Shilton and scored by punching the ball into the net.

He later said the goal came thanks to “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.


Four minutes later, he scored what has been described as the ‘goal of the century’ – collecting the ball in his own half before embarking on a bewitching, mazy run that left several players trailing before he rounded Shilton to score.

The first goal was dubious; the second was a bloody miracle

Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson

“You have to say that is magnificent. There is no doubt about that goal. That was just pure football genius,” said BBC commentator Barry Davies.

England pulled one back but Argentina went through, with Maradona saying it was “much more than winning a match, it was about knocking out the English”.

A hero for Napoli – but drugs take hold

Maradona broke the world transfer record twice – leaving Boca Juniors in his home country for Spanish side Barcelona for £3m in 1982 and joining Italian club Napoli two years later for £5m.

There were more than 80,000 fans in the Stadio San Paolo when he arrived by helicopter. A new hero.

He played the best club football of his career in Italy, feted by supporters as he inspired the side to their first league titles in 1987 and 1990 and the Uefa Cup in 1989.

A party to celebrate the first triumph lasted five days with hundreds of thousands on the streets, but Maradona was suffocated by the attention and expectation.

“This is a great city but I can hardly breathe. I want to be free to walk around. I’m a lad like any other,” he said.

Diego Maradona at Napoli
Maradona became an icon at Napoli, where he scored 81 times in 188 games

He became inextricably linked to the Camorra crime syndicate, dragged down by a cocaine addiction and embroiled in a paternity suit.

After losing 1-0 to Germany in the final of Italia 90, a positive dope test the following year triggered a 15-month ban.

He returned and arrested his slide, appearing to get his act together to play in the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

But he alarmed viewers with a maniacal full-face goal celebration into a camera and was withdrawn midway through the tournament after he was found to have taken the banned substance ephedrine.

1977: Debut for Argentina v Hungary 1991: 15-month ban after positive drugs test
1982: Joins Napoli after two-year spell with Barcelona 1994: Plays in fourth World Cup but is ejected after positive test
1986: Wins World Cup with Argentina 1997: Retires from playing after third positive test
1990: World Cup runner-up with Argentina. Second league title at Napoli 2010: Ends two-year spell as Argentina manager after World Cup quarter-final exit

Life after retirement

After his third positive test three years later, he retired from football on his 37th birthday, but continued to be plagued by problems.

Maradona was given a suspended jail sentence of two years and 10 months for an earlier incident where he shot at journalists with an air rifle.

His cocaine habit and alcoholism led to several health issues. He put on weight, rising to 128kg (20 stone) at one point, and suffered a major heart attack in 2004, which left him in intensive care.

He had gastric-bypass surgery to help stem his obesity, and sought sanctuary in Cuba while battling to overcome his drug addiction.

Former Cuba president Fidel Castro and Diego Maradona
Maradona visited Cuba and met president Fidel Castro

Despite all this, Maradona was named manager of the Argentina national team in 2008 and took the side to the World Cup quarter-finals two years later before his reign ended with a 4-0 defeat by Germany in the quarter-finals.

Various managerial roles followed for a figure who continued to divide opinion, and continued to make headlines.

He needed reconstructive surgery on his lip after one of his pet shar pei dogs bit him, and publicly recognised his son Diego Armando Junior who was born from an extra-marital affair.

A snapshot of his chaotic lifestyle came when he attended Argentina’s match against Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

He unveiled a banner of himself, danced with a Nigeria fan, prayed to the heavens before the game, wildly celebrated Lionel Messi’s opener, fell asleep and gave a double middle finger salute after Argentina’s second goal.

Some reports suggested he needed medical treatment afterwards.

Disgraceful, inspired, entertaining, great, over the top. Diego Maradona. A life less ordinary.

Diego Maradona
Maradona attended Argentina’s group games during the 2018 World Cup

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Itemsargentinadiegoflawedfootballmaradonaobituary
Sports
25th November 2020
Newsexplored @newsexploredweb

Related Itemsargentinadiegoflawedfootballmaradonaobituary

More in Sports

  • Read More
    Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Vaccine rollout will help us stage rescheduled event, says chief executive

    Views:5 Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto believes more of the Japanese public will be in favour...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    Poirier v McGregor 2: Relive Conor McGregor’s iconic moments – and vote for your favourite

    Views:5 Venue: Fight Island, Abu Dhabi Date: Sunday, 24 January Time: Main card from 03:00 GMT Coverage:...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool loss to Burnley ‘massive punch in the face’

    Views:5 Defeat massive punch in the face – Klopp Manager Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool’s defeat by Burnley...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    Garth Crooks’ team of the week: Stones, Pogba, Ndombele, Maddison, Aubameyang

    Views:5 Manchester United remain top of the Premier League after drawing at Liverpool and beating Fulham, but...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    Transfer rumours: Eriksen, Upamecano, Alli, Odegaard, Jose, Sane, Caicedo

    Views:5 Leicester City have ruled out a loan move for Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen, 28, because...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    Josh Warrington vacates IBF world featherweight title over mandatory commitments

    Views:5 Warrington won the IBF world featherweight title in 2018 British featherweight Josh Warrington has vacated the...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    Laura Robson: Former British number one has third hip operation

    Views:5 Laura Robson has not played competitively since an ITF tournament in Sunderland in April 2019 Former...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    Sergio Aguero: Man City striker’s comeback delayed after positive Covid-19 test

    Views:5 Sergio Aguero has only played 31 minutes since 24 October Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    India v England: Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer return to Joe Root’s squad for first two Tests in Ahmedabad

    Views:5 Archer and Stokes last played Test cricket against Pakistan in August 2020 All-rounder Ben Stokes and...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    London Marathon organisers ‘optimistic’ 2021 race will have record 50,000 runners

    Views:5 The 2019 race, above, was started by a record 42,906 people London Marathon organisers are “very...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    Sri Lanka v England: Joe Root expects response from home side in second Test in Galle

    Views:5 Joe Root made 228 in the first innings of England’s first-Test victory Venue: Galle Date: 22-26...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
  • Read More
    Real Madrid ‘see end of Zinedine Zidane era’, says Guillem Balague

    Views:5 Real Madrid are 19-time winners of the Copa del Rey, but have not lifted it for...

    Newsexplored 25th November 2020
Scroll for more
Tap
data-ad-format="auto">
NewsExplored

NewsExplored - Making sure all the latest news is explored?

Contact us for help

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • Comments

  • Kieran Trippier suspended for 10 weeks over breaches of betting rules
    Sports23rd December 2020
  • The Papers: UK and EU on ‘verge’ of Brexit trade deal
    UK23rd December 2020
  • Former BBC sports reporter Kevin Gearey dies
    Entertainment23rd December 2020
  • Bridgerton: Everything you need to know about the Netflix drama
    Entertainment25th December 2020
  • Kamala Harris: What the vice-president did on her first day
    USA21st January 2021
  • Biden inauguration: New president to be sworn in amid Trump snub
    USA20th January 2021
  • Biden inauguration: Democrat to be sworn in as Trump leaves office
    USA20th January 2021
  • Biden inauguration rehearsal paused amid US Capitol lockdown
    USA18th January 2021
  • Les Rehrer says:

    Hello Its me :P and thanks for this post

  • optumrx login says:

    Thank For News.

  • Kent Laatsch says:

    Please let me know if you're looking for a writer…

  • Bob says:

    RT News was where I learned that Erdogan controlled isis.…

Copyright © 2018 Top News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by Wordpress.

Gordon Taylor: PFA chief executive to stand down at end of season
Diego Maradona: Argentina legend dies aged 60
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok