BUENOS AIRES: Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, died of a heart attack on Wednesday (November 25), his attorney said.
Maradona, 60, recently battled health problems and underwent emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma several weeks ago.
He suffered a heart attack at his home on the outskirts of Buenos Aires this Wednesday, reported Argentine media and acquaintances of the former player.
Argentine President Alberto Fernández declared three days of national mourning after the news of Maradona’s death.
Retired Brazilian soccer star Pelé mourned the death of the great Argentine.
“Certainly one day we will kick a ball together in the sky,” he said in a short statement provided to Reuters by a representative.
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Italian soccer club Napoli said the death of its former star was a “devastating blow” to both the city and the club.
“We are in mourning,” said club spokesman Nicola Lombardo. “We feel like a boxer who has been knocked out. We are in shock.”
Maradona played for Napoli between 1984 and 1991, which helped the city win its first Serie A league title.
Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona reacts to fans during his first training session as Dorados coach at the Banorte de Culiacán stadium, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Mexico, September 10, 2018 (Photo: REUTERS / Henry Romero ).
FROM TURBIOS TO THE GLORY OF THE WORLD CUP
Rising to stardom from a grubby Buenos Aires slum to lead Argentina to World Cup victory, Maradona was a story of poverty to wealth in his soccer-mad land and gained the iconic status of Argentines Che Guevara and Avoid Perón.
One of the most talented footballers in history, Maradona’s pinnacle of glory came when he captained Argentina to win the World Cup in 1986, before sinking into misery when he was ejected from the 1994 World Cup for doping.
Years of drug use, binge eating and alcoholism cut short a stellar career and altered his appearance from an agile athlete who could effortlessly slalom between teams to a bloated addict who nearly died of cocaine-induced heart failure in 2000.
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Diego Maradona as coach of the Argentine team. (Photo: Henri Szwarc / Abaca / Sipa USA via AP Images)
But he reinvented himself in a surprising comeback in 2008 as coach of the Argentine national team, convincing managers that with sheer charisma he could inspire the team to victory, despite a lack of coaching experience.
A wizard with the ball, deceptively fast and a visionary passer, Maradona is considered by some to be the greatest footballer of all time, surpassing that other great, Brazilian Pelé. In Argentina, he was worshiped as El Dios – El Dios – in part a pun on his number 10 jersey, El Diez.
He was largely responsible for Argentina’s victory at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, scoring two famous goals in a match against England in the quarterfinals.
The first was a notorious goal scored with his fist, and the second, where he dribbled half of the England team, is often called the goal of the century.
“It was partly God’s hand and partly Maradona’s head,” he said of his first goal in the 2-1 victory.
