[ad_1]
Diego Maradona was buried Thursday in a private ceremony attended by only two dozen people.
Only close family and friends were allowed to enter the Jardin Bella Vista Cemetery for the final religious ceremony and burial of Maradona next to the graves of his parents, Dalma and Diego.
Fans waving Argentine flags had gathered along the roads as Maradona’s funeral car passed under heavy security. Many tried to touch the vehicle every time traffic stopped it.
The previous viewing at the Argentine presidential mansion stopped shortly before 6 p.m., 12 hours after it began, as the Maradona family wished, and the body of the Argentine icon was taken for burial, frustrating many who were waiting. to pay their respects and causing new tensions at the cemetery gates.
Fans, some dressed in the national flag, sang soccer anthems as they formed a line that stretched more than 20 blocks from Plaza de Mayo, where Argentines gathered to celebrate Maradona’s World Cup triumph in 1986.
But as the time to see the coffin in the presidential palace was running out, police moved to cut off the rear of the crowd, enraging fans who threw stones and other objects at the officers, who responded with rubber bullets.
Organizers were overwhelmed by the crowd, and the violence resulted in injuries and arrests, prompting Maradona’s family to end the public visit. The coffin was placed in a car bearing the former footballer’s name on cardboard by the window.
Desperate to say goodbye, Maradona fans climbed the fences of the presidential mansion like they were in a soccer stadium, while firefighters worked to clear the ground.
“Diego is not dead, Diego lives in the people,” the crowd shouted as the coffin was carried to a cemetery on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.
The caravan, accompanied by police, was followed on a local highway by dozens of honking cars and motorcycles.
Hundreds of fans blocked the entrance to the cemetery before the arrival of Maradona’s coffin, dancing and singing as police entered to clear the way. The crowd continued to make noise after the final ceremony began.
Maradona died Wednesday of a heart attack in a house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires where he was recovering from a brain operation on November 3.
Napoli paid tribute to their former player Maradona prior to their 2-0 win over HNK Rijeka in the Europa League. Fans gathered outside the stadium to pay their respects to the Argentine, with some of them also laying down flowers and souvenirs.
The Premier League has asked all clubs to hold a minute of applause and wear black armbands to honor Maradona in each of this weekend’s matches.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
