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The world of football has lost one of its gardens, for many football fans the largest in general. Diego Maradona, the “golden child”, the “hand of God”, died yesterday of a heart attack at his home in Buenos Aires when he was only 60 years old. Even the quickly summoned paramedics were no longer able to save him.
Maradona had recently survived a hospitalization. He was released from a hospital on the outskirts of Buenos Aires on November 11, just over a week after the operation for a brain hemorrhage. The former superstar initially spoke of emotional stress, anemia, and dehydration. Maradona wants to go to a rehab clinic to beat his addiction to alcohol. It never came to that.
His life ended where his football career began. As a 12-year-old boy discovered by the Argentinios Juniors in Buenos Aires, the little ball boy’s half-time hairpins are said to have inspired fans more than wrestling team games. At 16 he was a national player, at 17 he was a scorer king and at 19 he was the first South American footballer of the year.
Diego Maradona and the “Hand of God” 1-0 against England in the 1986 World Cup Image: GEPA / Panoramic images
First Barcelona, then Naples
In 1982, Maradona moved to FC Barcelona for a record fee, but he was not happy there. SSC Napoli picks him up and Maradona becomes a sanctuary. He led Napoli twice to the Italian championship title (1987, 1990). “We would have won a lot more if the northern mafia hadn’t fought us like this,” Maradona said later. So there is only one UEFA Cup win with Napoli in 1989.
Become immortal in one game. On his way to the 1986 World Cup, Diego Maradona scored the 1-0 goal in Argentina 2-1 against England with the “hand of God”, and a few minutes later with a historic solo career from the center line, the 2-0 . A few days later, Argentina is the world champion after beating Germany 3-2.
For Maradona’s sports career, however, it should be the beginning of the end. Four years later, at the 1990 World Cup, he and Argentina defeated Italy in the semifinals in Naples of all venues. The rematch against Germany in the final is lost 0-1. Maradona shouldn’t recover from that.
Maradona married his longtime girlfriend, Claudia Villafane, in November 1989. The marriage divorced in 2004. Image: (REUTERS)
Maradona’s life
“Live each moment as if it were your last,” Diego Maradona’s physical trainer Signorini once said. This is probably one of the reasons why Diego Maradona’s life ended so early. During his soccer career he became addicted to cocaine and later to alcohol. Listing all the women and children would be beyond the scope. His son Hugo made a brief guest appearance on SK Rapid Vienna in the 1990s.
In Italy, Maradona was barred from entering Italy for decades due to tax debts. “A revenge for the mafia because we took the titles from Juventus, Inter and Milan.” Maradona’s attempts at training were unsuccessful. From 2008 to 2010 he was in charge of the Argentine team.
Then the world tour went from the United Arab Emirates through Cuba and Mexico to Belarus. His weakness for authoritarian states and rulers could not be overlooked. In 2015, Maradona underwent his second stomach reduction after a doctor found 75 kilograms overweight.
In Naples, Opus’ Austrian hit “Live is Life” is played before every match to this day. A tribute to Maradona, who did magic while warming up to the rhythm of the ball. So it will be remembered.
Between 1984 and 1991, Maradona led SSC Napoli to two championship titles, the only two in the club’s history. Bild: (WHAT / AFP / JORGE DURAN)
“I have seen Maradona”
by Christoph Zpfl
It’s been a while since I met Diego Armando Maradona “for real”. It was May 14, 1989, I greeted him enthusiastically, but he probably didn’t see me. I was one of 56,464 pilgrims in what was then the Cathedral of Naples, also known as Stadio San Paolo, and I was sitting quite high among the people who were scared when Maradona performed his warm-up art before the game against AS Roma. When he threw the ball into the sky to catch it on the joint, people cheered as if he had just scored a goal (which he did not want to be successful in the game).
Maradona was already traveling with “bergepck” at that time. Physically and mentally. In 1984 he arrived in Naples. Thanks to the flow of money from the Camorra channels, the transfer went like clockwork. The Argentine was “promoted” from soccer star to deity in the most South American city in Europe. Thanks to the ingenuity of Maradona, Naples, the Cinderella of Italy, suddenly found the football nobility of the north of the country at eye level. In 1987, Naples celebrated its first championship title, when Maradonna pushed many images of saints out the windows of houses at the latest. The streets were still dirty, the people were poor, but the footballer with the number 10 changed this city and the people.
On May 14, 1989 only Neapolitans sat proudly at the Stadio San Paolo, although the match against Roma ended 1-1 (Rudi Vller was the stop to the fun with his goal in the second half). Maradona only played in the second 45 minutes, which of course was not that exciting for someone like me, who had traveled so far to see Diego in person. At least when they start singing “Ho Seen Maradona” in the stadiums, as they did then, I can sing. It was worth it.
