Chronicle: Diego Maradona is dead

“The football association and its president Claudio Tapia feel deep pain for the death of our legend, Diego Armando Maradona. You will always be in our hearts, ”the association tweeted. The Argentine government ordered a three-day state duel.

Maradona was considered one of the best footballers in history. In 1986 the excellent coach led Argentina to the second world title in its history in Mexico. With SSC Napoli, Maradona twice won the Italian championship and the UEFA Cup. After his active career, the Argentine was also a team manager in his home country, but off the field, the eccentric superstar also made headlines with his excessive drug and alcohol use.

The “hand of God” with which he scored against England in the 1986 World Cup or his goal of the century after an incredible dribble in the same game are unforgettable. Also unforgettable are the images of the spherical Maradona with bleached hair, which appeared years later. He failed not only as a crew chief, but also as a television host, spent weeks in hospitals, his stomach became smaller, and several times missed death.

The legend began on the outskirts of Buenos Aires

For most, Maradona remains a myth. The legend began in the Villa Fiorito settlement on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, where “El Pibe de Oro” (the golden boy) was discovered early by the first division club Argentinos Juniors. As a twelve-year-old ball boy, he is said to have offered viewers more entertainment than the first team with his cabinet pieces during halftime breaks.

At 15 he made his debut in the First Division, at 16 he was a national player, at 17 he was the top scorer and at 19 he was the first South American footballer of the year.

Maradona shunned the comparison with Pelé

At that time, journalists wanted to know if he was the new Pelé. “I’m Maradona, it’s nothing new. I just want to be Maradona ”, replied the young“ Diegito ”. And he achieved it without a doubt: that the path of his life was incomparable. In the beginning, many things went well. In 1982, Maradona moved to FC Barcelona for a record fee, but only became a demigod two years later. For another record transfer, I went to SSC Napoli, not to the big clubs in northern Italy, but to the despised rapid descent in the despised south. “The sewer of Italy”, they sound like fans of Juve or Milan during the duel.

This is where the transformation began. Maradona climbed higher and higher, in 1987 and 1990 he led Napoli to the only championships in the club’s history to date. Over 70,000 fans greeted him at the Stadio San Paolo when he was greeted, and then people continued to hang around his front door. Once, a nurse allegedly stole a blood sample and brought it to church. Maradona was able to handle the hype while playing football, he got better and better on the field. Neapolitans still revere him as a saint.

Off-field problems

“Life is no longer important in the field. The problems, none of that becomes important, “he said in the documentary” Diego Maradona. ” Off the court he became as uncontrollable as he was to his opponents. He fell in love with cocaine (“One line – and I felt like Superman”), sometimes hanging around the houses Sunday through Wednesday, only to sweat again until the next game of the weekend. His career in the national team ended at the 1994 World Cup due to a doping ban from the World Football Association (FIFA).

“Diego had a life like a dream. And like a nightmare ”, said his fitness trainer Fernando Signorini. “I think he thinks he is a god and that could be one of the reasons for his problems,” said Héctor Pezzella, director of the Güemes Clinic in Buenos Aires, where Maradona was treated in 2007, many years ago.

Profile of Diego Armando Maradona

• Born: October 30, 1960 in Villa Fiorito (Buenos Aires)
• Death: November 25, 2020 in Tigre (Buenos Aires)
• Height / weight: 1.68 m / 70 kg (during active times)
• Position: Attacking midfield

Stations as a professional:

• Argentinos Juniors (1976–81)
• Boca Juniors (1981–82)
• FC Barcelona (1982-1984)
• SSC Napoli (1984-1991)
• FC Sevilla (1992–93)
• Newell’s Old Boys (ARG / 1993)
• Boca Juniors (1995–97)

Trainer positions:

• Deportivo Mandiyu Corrientes (ARG / 1994)
• RC Avellaneda (ARG / 1995)
• Argentina (2008 to 2010)
• Al-Wasl (VAE / 2011 bis 2012)
• Fujairah (UAE / 2017 to 2018)
• Dorados de Sinaloa (MEX / 2018 bis 2019)
• Gymnastics of La Plata (ARG / 2019 bis 2020)

Great achievements (all as players):

• 1986 World Champion
• 1990 World Cup finalist, four World Cup appearances (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
• 91 international appearances for the Argentine national team (34 goals)
• Argentine champion 1981 with Boca Juniors
• Champion of the Spanish Cup 1983 with Barcelona
• Italian Champion in 1987 and 1990 with SSC Napoli
• 1989 UEFA Cup champion with Napoli
• Champion of the Italian Cup 1987 with Naples
• Best footballer of the 1986 World Cup
• 6-time South America Player of the Year (1979, 1980, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992)
• 4 times Argentina Footballer of the Year (1979, 1980, 1981, 1986)
• U-20 World Champion 1979 and best player of the tournament in Japan

Awards:

• His second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico –
  Dribbling from the center line: voted Goal of the 20th century by the World Football Association (FIFA)
• In a vote of FIFA fans on the Internet, Maradona was voted “World Player of the Century”
• Inclusion in the list of the best footballers of the 20th century, the “FIFA 100”

Note: 1991 due to cocaine use, which resulted in a positive result
Result of doping, banned for 15 months