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Diego Maradona

Maradona and the World Cup trophy

Diego Armando Maradona (nicknamed "El Diego", "El Pelusa", and "El Pibe") (born October 30, 1960) is a former Argentine football player. He is widely regarded as the best player in the history of the game, as demonstrated by a worldwide Internet vote sponsored by FIFA in 2000 in which he came ahead of Pelé (also regarded by many as the greatest player of all time).

Table of contents

Biography

Maradona was born in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown in the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires, to a poor family who had moved from Corrientes province; he was the first son after three girls. He has two younger brothers, Hugo and Eduardo, both of whom also played soccer, but with less success. He was spotted at age 10 by a talent scout and became a staple of the cebollitas, the junior team of Buenos Aires side Argentinos Juniors. As a ball-boy, he would amuse attending crowds by showing his wizardry with the ball during game intermissions.

At age 15 he made his debut with Argentinos, where he played 1976-81 before his transfer to the club that he supported — Boca Juniors, where he played (1981-82) and secured his first league title.

He debuted with the Argentina national football team (la selección) at age 16. At age 18 he played the Football World Youth Championship for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, shining in the 3–1 win over the USSR.

In 1982, Maradona played his first World Cup and was transferred to FC Barcelona.

Under coach Cesar Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey. An ill-timed tackle by Athletic Bilbao's defender Jon Andoni Goikoetxea sent him off the pitch for almost one year.

In 1984, Maradona was transferred to SSC Napoli, where he became an adored star, lifting the team to its most successful era. Napoli won their only Italian Championships (1986/87 and 1989/1990), a Coppa Italia (1987), a UEFA Cup (1989) and an Italian Supercup (1990). Napoli were runners-up in the Italian Championship twice.

Maradona led the Argentine national team to victory in the World Cup in 1986, the team winning 3–2 in the final against West Germany. In this tournament, he became notorious for a goal in the quarter-final game against England, which video evidence later clearly revealed he had scored with the aid of his hand. He later claimed it was the "Hand of God" and implied that God was ultimately responsible for the goal because the referee missed the handball offence. However, Maradona showed the other side of his nature a few minutes later in the same match, by running half the length of the pitch and beating almost the entire English team along the way, to score what is widely regarded as the most exceptional goal in the history of the World Cup.

Throughout that World Cup competition, Maradona asserted his dominance as no player has ever done before, and was almost unanimously regarded as the best player of the tournament.

Maradona also captained Argentina in the 1990 World Cup, leading a far weaker team to the final again, where they lost 1–0 to West Germany. He arrived at the 1994 World Cup overweight, and was sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine doping (a weight-loss drug). Regarding the dispute, he states that he had an agreement, that FIFA broke, to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play, so that the World Cup would not lose prestige because of his absence.

Maradona celebrating the victory of Argentina over West Germany in the Mexico 1986 World Cup

In Naples, where he is still beloved (having brought the local team their first scudetto), he also faced a scandal regarding an illegitimate son and was the object of some suspicion over his friendship with the Camorra, the local mafia.

Maradona left Napoli in 1992, after serving the 15 month ban for failing the drug test, and played for Sevilla FC (1992-93), Newell's Old Boys (1993) and Boca Juniors (1995-97). He also attempted to work as a coach on two short occasions, leading Mandiyú of Corrientes (1994) and Racing Club (1995). He retired from football on October 30, 1997.

On January 26, 1997, Maradona discussed on live Ecuadorian TV with Ecuadorian president Abdalá Bucaram about playing in Bucaram's Barcelona SC team, but he never played, since Bucaram was dismissed with a coup d'état.

In 2000, Maradona was voted Player of the Century by Internet users in an official FIFA poll, garnering 53.6% of the votes. In an unannounced move, FIFA appointed a "family of soccer" committee, which voted in favor of Pelé alongside the Argentine. Maradona cried foul; he left the awards ceremony as soon as his prize was awarded. Many Argentines interpreted this brash gesture as validating their belief that Maradona is the kind who "tells it like it is", while Pelé is a docile tool of FIFA bosses.

In 2001, the Argentine Football Association asked FIFA for authorization to retire jersey number 10, as an homage to Maradona, what was ultimately not authorized by FIFA. (Many Argentines believe that FIFA hinted that it would grant the request and then reversed course, but FIFA maintains that such an agreement was never reached).

Maradona is also known in Argentina as "El Pibe de Oro" (The Golden Boy). In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego, which became an instant bestseller in his home country.

Maradona has won many FIFA polls, including a 2002 poll in which his second goal against England was chosen as the best goal ever scored in a World Cup; he also won the most votes in a poll to determine the All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.

Health

Ever since the 1990s, Maradona has been battling a cocaine addiction, which included spells in a Cuban detox clinic.

On April 18, 2004, doctors reported that Maradona had suffered a major heart attack following a cocaine overdose; he was admitted to intensive care in a Buenos Aires hospital. Scores of fans gathered around the clinic indicating his popularity even in 2004. Days after the heart attack, a male nurse was caught taking photos of Maradona with a cellular telephone; he was fired by the hospital managers.

After he showed improvement, he was taken off a respirator on April 23, and remained in intensive care for several days before being discharged on April 29. After a brief stint in May, he returned to Cuba.

In January 2005, Maradona entered a clinic in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. On March 6, it was announced that he had gastric bypass surgery as treatment for his morbid obesity.

Career statistics

Clubs

International

  • 1977-94 Argentina (91 appearances, 34 goals)
  • 21 appearances in four FIFA World Cup Championships (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
  • Argentina's second highest goal-scorer

Club honours

International honours

Coaching career

  • 1994 Mandiyú de Corrientes
  • 1995 Racing Club de Avellaneda

Individual honours

  • 1979-81, 86 Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year
  • 1986 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year
  • 1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992 South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas)
  • 1986 Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup
  • 1986 European Footballer of the Year (France Football)
  • 1986–7 Best Footballer in the World (Onze)
  • 1996 Golden Ball for services to football (France Football)
  • 1999 Best World Cup goal (1986 (2–0) v. England)
  • 1999 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century
  • 2000 "FIFA best football player of the century", people's choice.

See also

External links







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