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Argentina is losing an icon, and people are gathering in the streets in mourning for soccer legend Maradona. But it was not just a sports genius who left for them, but someone from among them.
By Anne Herrberg, ARD Studio Mexico City
They say goodbye, just as Diego Maradona would have liked: with songs, t-shirts, drums, with great emotion and tears in their eyes. Hundreds of people have gathered at the obelisk, the symbol of Buenos Aires, to honor “D10S”, as they call him here, the football god Maradona, who gave them the greatest moments of happiness.
“A part of me died with him. He’s just God. Isn’t he? It’s not that hard to understand,” he says. Fabian Sosa. Daniela Biasi also says goodbye to the crowd:
“I was surprised, because he was still young, although he was not doing well. That affects us all here very closely. He has given us so much joy, people who usually do not have much to laugh about. That means Maradona to us.”
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Soccer legend Diego Maradona dies
Mourning for “one of them”
“Thank you Diego”, “Thank you Diego” is written on the electronic traffic screens of the city. Three days of state mourning were ordered. In the working-class neighborhood of Paternal, in front of the Argentinos Juniors stadium -club where Maradona made his debut in 1976, he scored more goals of his career, he enchanted everyone- people not only cry for what is probably the greatest football genius of all time . They cry for one of them, like Diego:
“This neighborhood is in mourning. We saw him grow up here. Maradona is more than football. He is the people. He was the voice of the lower classes. He could have retired with his money, but no, he has not forgotten where he comes from. That is why we love it “.
“I’m done, I’m totally done,” says Alicia, describing her feelings: “We knew this had to happen at some point. But he walked away from death so often that we thought he was going to cheat on him again this time. Not that he really did. was go away, not now “.
“One who swims against the current”
The “Pibe de Oro”, the “golden child”, always bargained on the border between genius and madness: The “Hand of God” and the goal of the century against the English in the 1986 World Cup. Subsequently, crimes of doping and excessive alcohol, mafia contacts and journalists being shot. Maradona between heaven and hell. That made him a legend during his life, says sports journalist Germán Bellizi: “I associate Diego with my childhood and youth, that naive and innocent love for football and rebellion. He embodied this feeling all his life: he was someone who he was against Electricity, nothing that he has shown everyone, always on the edge. A God who has remained human, with all his faults. And now his heart has said, enough, enough. “
The corpse is placed in the government palace
“He is leaving, but he does not leave us completely because Diego is immortal,” Lionel Messi wrote on Twitter. Brazilian soccer icon Pelé said he was losing a friend and the world a legend: “Hopefully one day we can play together in heaven.”
Maradona’s body is now, with the family’s consent, in the Casa Rosada, the Argentine government palace, until Saturday. He presented the World Cup trophy from the balcony of that place in 1986, declared President Alberto Fernández of the special honor. Tens of thousands of people are expected.
