Activist, god and “scammer”, Diego Maradona recounted the victories and pains of life in documentaries | international soccer

The scene, assisted by the woman Claudia and two daughters, is one of the highlights of the film. “Maradona de Kusturica”by Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica. Diego Armando Maradona, who died at the age of 60 this Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest, then takes the stage and sings music about his life. Of victories and defeats.

“If Jesus stumbled, why shouldn’t I?” Says an extract from the hit “La Mano de Dios”, by the Argentine musician Rodrigo, to whom Diego sings hugging his friends, jumping and with his hands in the air.

Maradona has always aroused the interest of audiovisual productions. Recently, in 2019, “Netflix” showcased “Maradona no Mexico”, about his good work in Los Dorados de Sinaloa, a Mexican city made famous by the rise of drug lord Chapo Guzmán.

The seven-episode series features a quirky-looking coach, who in an hour dance and vibrate in the locker room with the athletes and play with the club employees – and rudely – with the Mexicans who asked for an autograph.

In Dorados, Maradona was runner-up in the Mexican second division, only one team went up to the first division, in an incredible campaign. He left the club in June 2019 on medical recommendation.

Author of documentaries about the lives of Amy Winehouse and Aytorn Senna, English filmmaker Asif Kapadia also released a film last year that tells the Neapolitan version of the star.

The production features little-known scenes, such as the presentation at a press conference held in a small gym within the San Paolo stadium complex in Naples. It addresses the player’s relationship with the Camorra family, from drug trafficking in the southern Italian city.

“Everybody is racist”

The title of the film Diego Maradona – Rebelde. Hero. Swindler. God” It upset the ace, who asked his fans not to watch the documentary. In 2h10 of filming, Maradona arrives in Naples in an apothematic way – after a frustrating experience at Barcelona – and lives with goals, brilliant plays, titles and everything else that he experienced off the field in Italy. Even in the 1990 World Cup.

It also shows Maradona’s identification with the people of southern Italy: discriminated against and called “Africans of Italy”, “dirty”, “shame of Italy”, among other things in the stands – and waking up from cocaine addiction.

– When you are in the field, life goes away, problems go away. If everything goes – Maradona said, reflecting on the images. The images at the end of the film, with Diego full of difficulty (overweight and knee pain) to play naked, have the repetition of this part of Maradona’s speech.

If in the Kusturica film, Maradona takes revenge on the English with the goal of the hand, shows all the revolt with João Havelange and Fifa and calls George W. Bush human garbage and elects Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales – The scenes of the Serbian director take him to an event in Venezuela against the FTAA, Free Trade Area of ​​the Americas, in the “train of the soul”, together with supporters -, in the film of his time at Naples he reacts to the offenses against the Napolitanos.

– Everyone is racist – he said after a victory over Juventus, with racist chants in the stadium.

The Brazilian director’s film reveals calls captured by the Italian police that led Maradona to trial in the Italian court for drug possession and use. The relationship with the family that dominated the city with orders for cocaine and prostitution took its toll and Maradona himself, in testimony, assured that it “became his property” when he depended on the Camorras. Those who like to go to the commercial openings of the “owners” of the city.

In the end, a beautiful image, with Maradona and his son Diego Maradona Junior, by Crisiana Sinagra, whom he met in the first months of his stay in Naples. Farewell to Italy is sad, with Diego’s famous phrase: “I arrived greeted by 85 thousand people and I am leaving alone” -, and was also remembered by Maradona in the Kusturica movie. He complained about the persecution of the Italian federation after his second championship in the country. In addition to winning the UEFA Cup.

– It seems that in Italy only Caniggia and I use “vitamins” – he said, referring to stimulants for athletes.