FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 3 RUGBY | Page 4 Al Ahli face Fall of the All Al Rayyan, Blacks? Defeats seek return to pile pressure on top spot coach, captain Thursday, November 26, 2020 FOOTBALL Rabia II 11, 1442 AH Barcelona, Juventus GULF TIMES in last 16; PSG keep hopes alive SPORT Page 7 LOSS I hope we’ll play together in the sky — Pele Diego is eternal — LionelMessi You will never be forgotten — CristianoRonaldo Ciao Diego — SSCNapoli A bitbit ofof oourur ppastast hhasas ggoneone — MichelPlatini Diego Maradona, one of the greatest footballers of all time, died yesterday at the age of 60, plunging his sport and his native Argentina into mourning Gulf Times 2 Thursday, November 26, 2020 TRIBUTE LOSS World of football mourns as Maradona passes away He suff ered a heart attack at his home in the outskirts of Buenos Aires yesterday Reuters Buenos Aires, Argentina Maradona fi les Name: Diego Armando International goals: 34 iego Maradona, widely Maradona Franco Position: attacking midfielder/ regarded as one of the Date of birth: October 30, playmaker greatest soccer players 1960 Honours: of all time before drug Place of birth: Buenos Aires, FIFA World Cup winner Dand alcohol addiction marred Argentina (1986) his career, died yesterday at his Date of death: November 25, FIFA World Cup Golden Ball home in Argentina after suff ering 2020 (1986) a heart attack, his lawyer said. He Place of death: Tigre, UEFA Cup winner (1989) was 60. Argentina Italian champion (1987, Beloved in his homeland after Height: 1.65m 1990) leading Argentina to World Cup Playing career Argentine champion (1981) glory in 1986 and adored in Italy Argentinos Juniors (1976- Spanish Super Cup (1983) for taking Napoli to two Serie A 81), Boca Juniors (1981-82), Spanish Cup (1983) titles, Maradona was a uniquely Barcelona (ESP/1982-84), Italian Cup (1987) gifted player who rose from the Napoli (ITA/1984-91), Sevilla Italian Super Cup (1990) tough streets of Buenos Aires to (ESP/1992-93), Newell’s Old Top scorer in Italy (1988), reach the pinnacle of his sport. Boys (1993), Boca Juniors Argentina (1979, 1980) He died four years to the day (1995-97) FIFA Player of the Century after one of his political heroes, International caps: 91 (1977-94) (2000) former Cuban leader Fidel Cas- tro, and 15 years to the day after another troubled but talented While that goal — and his de- league title in 1987. football folk hero, George Best, scription of it as divine inter- The mayor of Naples, Luigi de whom Maradona cited as one of vention — was Maradona’s most Magistris, called for the team’s his boyhood inspirations. controversial, his second in that stadium to be renamed after the Maradona had recently bat- game, where he ran through the player. tled health issues and underwent England team to score a stunning “Diego made our people emergency surgery for a subdural solo goal, showcased his extraor- dream, he redeemed Naples with haematoma several weeks ago. dinary dribbling and control that his genius. In 2017 he became our He suffered a heart attack many view as unmatched. honorary citizen, Diego, Neapol- at his home in the outskirts of itan and Argentine, you gave us Buenos Aires yesterday, ac- HIGHS AND LOWS joy and happiness! Naples loves quaintances of the former As well as many match-win- you!” he wrote on twitter. player said. His death was con- ning performances, Mara- Maradona-inspired street art firmed by his lawyer. dona charmed the world with and graffi ti in the Italian city have In Buenos Aires, people be- ball-juggling skills that he fi rst long been tourist attractions, but gan pouring onto the streets to showed off as a 12-year-old ball he later faced tax problems in mourn the nation’s favourite boy. Italy and in 2009 police seized son, gathering in the San Andres But the other side of Mara- his earrings in an eff ort to recover neighbourhood where he lived dona surfaced in the 1994 World unpaid taxes while he was at a and also in La Plata where he had Cup in the United States, where health clinic in northern Italy. lately been technical director for he was sent home after failing a Maradona ended his playing local team Gimnasia y Esgrima. doping test. career back in Argentina, re- The Argentine government has His last goal for Argentina turning to Boca. He had a brief declared three days of mourning. came in that tournament against and controversy-packed spell as President Alberto Fernandez said Greece in Boston and he cele- Argentine national team coach in a tweet, “You took us to the brated by screaming angrily into from 2008 to 2010 before club highest point in the world, and a television camera. coaching in the Middle East and made us immensely happy. You Pele, the Brazilian footballer Mexico. were the greatest of all. Thank who is considered one of the Years of drug use, overeating you for having been with us, only players to have come close and alcoholism truncated his Diego. We will miss you all our to Maradona’s skill level, was stellar career and altered his ap- lives.” quick to pay tribute to the Ar- pearance from a lithe athlete who At Buenos Aires metro sta- gentine. could slalom eff ortlessly through tions, digital billboards replaced “Certainly, one day we’ll kick a teams to a bloated addict who messages about trains with the ball together in the sky above,” he nearly died of cocaine-induced words: “Gracias Diego”. said in a brief statement provided heart failure in 2000. In the Buenos Aires suburb of to Reuters by a representative. Maradona became friends with Villa Crespo, the song La Mano de At club level, Maradona broke Castro while receiving medical In this June 29, 1986, picture, Argentina’s team captain Diego Maradona lifts the World Cup trophy after his team won the final 3-2 against West Dios by folk singer Rodrigo Bueno on to the scene with Buenos treatment in Cuba and he had Germany in Mexico City. (Top) Maradona with Brazilian football legend Pele and Argentine player Lionel Messi (AFP/Reuters) rang out from a balcony, a refer- Aires’ Boca Juniors before play- tattoos of the Cuban leader and ence to a goal Maradona scored ing in Spain with Barcelona. He his former comrade Che Guevera. But on the pitch he was, said “Today I say goodbye to a “One of the best ever. An un- without limits and a void that with his hand against England in was idolised in Italy after leading He was also a supporter of ex- Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, an friend and the world says good- paralleled magician. He leaves will never be fi lled. Rest in peace, the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Napoli to their fi rst ever Italian Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. “unparalleled magician”. bye to an eternal genius,” he said. too soon, but leaves a legacy ace. You will never be forgotten.” COMMENT Genius with his feet, many English will remember Maradona for his hand Reuters London, United Kingdom or all his footballing gen- ius, Diego Maradona, at least for a generation of England fans, will be for- Fever demonised for a moment of skulduggery in Mexico City’s Az- teca Stadium at the 1986 World Cup. Maradona’s second goal in eventual champions Argentina’s 2-1 quarter-fi nal victory is re- garded as one of the best of all time. But it was his fi rst that for many defi ned him. Bobby Robson’s stoic England side had kept a highly-skilled Ar- gentina side under control, but six minutes into the second half Maradona embarked on one of his trademark mazy runs into the heart of England’s defence. After sliding a pass towards teammate Jorge Valdano, Mara- dona continued his run and when England’s Steve Hodge inadvert- ently sliced the ball goalwards, This May 21, 2020, picture, shows a resident near a mural depicting the famous goal by Argentine legend In this June 22, 1986, picture, Argentinian forward Diego Maradona runs past English defenders Terry time stood still. Diego Maradona in Rio de Janeiro. (Reuters) Butcher (left) and Terry Fenwick (second from left) on his way to score his second goal during the World England keeper Peter Shilton Cup quarter-final. (AFP) came out to punch the ball clear TV replays revealed that it was merry dance before making it 2-0 poco con la cabeza de Maradona but Maradona, as if propelled by not Maradona’s head that had — a double whammy from which y otro poco con la mano de Dios” a roundabout way, saying it was Street artist Lean Frizzera pantheon of greats will always a trampoline, soared skywards to made contact with the ball but a a shell-shocked England, despite (“a little with the head of Mara- the ‘hand of God’. But he didn’t completed a mural depicting the be accompanied by a large ‘but’, touch the ball into the empty net. craftily concealed left hand that a late goal, never recovered. dona and a little with the hand of apologise, or show any remorse. goal on an underpass in Palermo, many prefer to remember his Something seemed odd, had pushed the ball past Shilton. Even Maradona’s teammates God.”) I was brought up to respect the Buenos Aires, nearly 25 years artistry. though, as Maradona, at 5ft 5 Had it happened today, with were initially slow to celebrate Shilton, England’s most- game.” after that day in the Azteca Sta- “As bad as the fi rst goal was, inches (165cm), had apparently Video Assistant Referees (VAR), the opener.