a Divine Talent with More Than a Touch of the Devil
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 GOD takes his hand back Diego Maradona, a divine talent with more than a touch of the devil Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, What sad news. I lost a great friend and the widely regarded as one of the game’s greatest ever world lost a legend. One day, I hope we play soccer players, died of a heart attack yesterday together in the sky PELE AFP | Buenos Aires Argentina’s coach Diego Maradona hugs Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Diego Armando Maradona (L) talks to Cuban Former US boxing champion Mike Tyson Argentina’s striker Lionel Messi after the (right) embraces former Argentine soccer star Diego President Fidel Castro, before recording Maradona’s (L) and Diego Maradona after arriving to iego Maradona was football’s archetypal 2010 World Cup quarter final Argentina vs Maradona during a rally in Buenos Aires TV program ‘The 10’s Night’ in Havana 27 October attend the 61st Cannes International Film troubled genius, a world-beating player Germany 2005 Festival on May 21, 2008 in Cannes Dwhose life and career scaled the most daz- zling heights but also plumbed the darkest depths. Maradona, who died Wednesday at the age of back to the final even though they won just two A very sad day for all 60, became a global icon after leading Argentina games and scored only five goals. Argentines and for to the 1986 World Cup but he was not a squeaky In a dire final, it took Andreas Brehme’s football. He leaves us clean idol like Pele, and made little attempt to hide 85th-minute penalty for West Germany to this but does not go away, his fiery personality and many vices. time get the better of Maradona. “I am black or white, I’ll never be grey in my Four years later in the United States, Marado- because Diego is eternal. life,” he once said. na seemed restored to health. He scored against I keep all the beautiful Maradona was short, powerful and quick. He Greece and celebrated by racing to scream into moments lived with him was also a ferocious and astute competitor who a TV camera, a disturbing mixture of joy, relief and I wanted to take the refused to be intimidated even though many and rage. Maradona (C) embraces his daughters opportunity to send my opponents tried. Above all, he was sublimely and But he ended his last World Cup like his first, Dalma Nerea (L) and Gianinna Dinora condolences to all his (R) during a tribute match held in his imaginatively skilful. prematurely. After Argentina beat Nigeria in their Maradona goes up against Juventus’s Luigi De Agostini Maradona with wife Claudia family and friends. RIP “No ball ever had a better experience than second group game, Maradona failed a test for honour at Boca Juniors Stadium in and their daughters Ganina and during his time at Napoli. The Argentinian led the club to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2001 LIONEL MESSI when it was at his left foot,” said his Argentina ephedrine and was thrown out of the tournament. two Serie A titles as well as the UEFA Cup Dalma in Seville, Spain, in 1992 teammate Jorge Valdano. A similar pattern of wild highs and lows marked Maradona’s goal against However, while Maradona is remembered for Maradona’s club career. season at Sevilla, one at Newell’s Old Boys and his masterly composure on the ball, he was also Maradona moved to the club he supported, Boca two at his beloved Boca. England is widely famous for his frequent lack of control both on the Juniors, in 1981 and won his sole Argentine league field and off. He struggled with addiction, notably title the following season. Player of the century considered one of the to cocaine, and with his weight. Maradona’s Hand of God was responsible for England’s elimination from the 1986 World Cup He left for Barcelona for a world record fee in Over the next two and a half decades he had six Diego Armando Maradona was born on Octo- 1982. He won the Copa Del Rey in his first season short and unsuccessful stints managing clubs in best, if not the best, goal ber 30, 1960, in Lanus, just outside Buenos Aires, He made his debut for Argentinos Juniors just But the match that defined his tournament, and but the club only finished fourth in the league. Argentina, the United Arab Emirates and Mexico, and grew up in one of the poorest areas of the before his 16th birthday and his debut for Argen- possibly his international career, was the 2-1 quar- He missed much of the following campaign and also two fiery years as Argentina coach from Today I say goodbye to a of all time Argentine capital. tina at age 16 in February, 1977. ter-final win over England, in which he scored two after Athletic Bilbao’s Andoni Goikoetxea broke 2008-10. friend and the world says His career is defined by the World Cup, the four goals that will be remembered forever -- for very his ankle, and when Barca lost to Bilbao in that Even though Argentina suffered a record 6-1 goodbye to an eternal he played in and the one he missed. different reasons. year’s cup final, Maradona started a spectacular defeat by humble Bolivia in qualifying, and Mara- “I have two dreams,” Maradona told Argentine In the 51st minute, as Peter Shilton reached mass brawl, flooring four opponents. dona was banned for two months at the end of genius. One of the best television at the age of 17. “My first dream is to to catch the ball, Maradona, some seven inches Facing a ban in Spain, Maradona moved to Na- 2009 for an obscene tirade at journalists, he still ever. An unparalleled play in the World Cup. And the second dream is shorter, jumped alongside him and with a deftness poli, becoming the first player to break the world led the team to the World Cup in South Africa magician. He leaves too to win it.” that fooled the eye, flicked the ball through the transfer record twice. where they won their group before being thrashed Maradona, left, greets Pope Francis in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, soon, but leaves a legacy Manager Cesar Luis Menotti omitted “El Pibe England goalkeeper’s arms and into the net. His dazzling play transformed a club from a 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. ahead of an inter-religious match for peace in September 2014 without limits de Oro” (the golden kid) from his squad in 1978. After the game, Maradona said he scored “a poor, much-mocked city and led them to their All the while, Maradona’s off-field problems CRISTIANO RONALDO Argentina, the hosts, went on to win the compe- little with the head of Maradona and a little with only two Serie A titles. continued. tition for the first time. the hand of God.” In a whirlwind seven years he fathered an He went into drug rehab on several occasions. The following year, under Menotti, Maradona Four minutes later, Maradona picked up the ball illegitimate child, made friends with the local When he quit cocaine, he binged instead on drink, led Argentina to victory in the under-20 World in his own half, beat six England players, including mafia and enemies of the tax collectors. He also cigars and food and ended up in hospital in 2007. Cup in Japan, winning the Golden Ball for the Shilton, before squeezing home. FIFA later named fell deep into cocaine addiction. His tempestuous He was a strident supporter of Cuban leader tournament’s best player. it the “Goal of the Century”. time in Italy effectively ended in April 1991 when Fidel Castro, whose image he had tattooed on his His senior World Cup debut in 1982 in Spain In 1990 in Italy, almost immobile because of an he tested positive for cocaine and was banned for shoulder, and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. went badly. Maradona was treated brutally by injury to his much-kicked left ankle, Maradona 15 months. In 2000, FIFA ran an online Player of the Centu- Russia’s President Vladimir Putin defenders and ended his tournament with a red steered a defensive and limited Argentine team He wound down his playing career with one ry poll. Maradona gained 54 percent of the vote, Soccer legends Diego Maradona talks to Argentinian retired striker (left) and Pele rest on a hammock card for retaliation as Argentina, already elimi- Pele was second with 18 percent. FIFA declared Diego Maradona (L-R) ahead of the during a reception in Rio de You took us to the top of nated, lost to Brazil. them joint winners. 2018 FIFA World Cup final draw at Janeiro, May 14, 1995 the world. You made us Maradona married his long-time girlfriend the State Kremlin Palace Hand of God One of the most gifted soccer players in history, Claudia Villafane in 1984. They had two daugh- immensely happy. You He atoned four years later, propelling his coun- Maradona’s pinnacle of glory came when he cap- ters, Dalma and Gianinna, and divorced in 2004. were the greatest of all. try to victory in Mexico and making the tourna- He also had a son, Diego Junior, born in Naples Thanks for having existed, ment his own. tained Argentina to win the World Cup in 1986, in 1986, although he only acknowledged paternity Diego. We will miss you In the final, Maradona set up the 86th-minute KNOW WHAT in 2004.