Chaos when Diego Maradona was honored

Chaos at the ceremony: the police had to intervene

From: Andreas Käck

Published: November 26, 2020 kl. 18.22

Diego Maradona’s coffin, wrapped in the Argentine flag and the number 10 shirt, arrived at the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace in downtown Buenos Aires.

Later, tens of thousands of Argentines defied coronary restrictions to say goodbye.

– Our hero is dead. Right now we see no future, only misery, says the father of two and adorer of Maradona Nicolas Zottola to Sportbladet.

Maradona’s body arrived at the Casa Rosada after 1 a.m. on Thursday, where a private ceremony was initially held for family and close friends.

06.15 local time, the ceremony was open to the public. Then the streets near the center of Plaza de Mayo were flooded with people. Tens of thousands of people arrived immediately during the morning, and according to TT, some observers estimate that a total of one million people will visit the site.

The problem? There is still a pandemic.

The AP news agency reports that there have been clashes with the police force that is in place to maintain order. Bottles and metal objects must have been thrown at the police, who in turn must have been forced to use tear gas to drive away the crowd.

– Somehow this is Maradona too, breaking the rules. Argentina is Maradona and Maradona is Argentina, with all the good and all the bad, says Marcelo Gades, one of the mourners who queued to say goodbye, according to TT.

“He IS football”

Sportbladet has spoken with Nicolás Zottola, 45, who lives with his family in the municipal capital, Pilar, 40 km north of the center of the city of Buenos Aires. He has adored Maradona his entire adult life and now recounts a pain in unison that he had never experienced before.

– This is a national matter. It is difficult to put into words what Diego has meant for us, for this country. Diego IS football. Right now we don’t see a future for football. Sure, we have Leo Messi and many other good players in the national team, so there will be a future, but right now we only see misery. Our hero is dead, says Nicolás Zottola.

He is a great fan of Boca Juniors, the great club to which Maradona belonged in two stays during his active career. But at times like these, club membership doesn’t matter. Now even Boca Juniors fans reconcile with River Plates’ archrivals to cry together.

Photo: Debora Rey / TT NEWS AGENCY

– Argentines are a special family. We are incredibly passionate, be it politics or football. Here Boca or River is encouraged. Everything is always black or white. But when it comes to Diego, nothing is black or white. EVERYONE loves it. Right now, our country is united again, says Nicolás Zottola.

He testifies about a country in shock that has not yet been able to assimilate what really happened.

– I am 45 years old and yesterday I couldn’t stop crying … It is our national symbol and icon that has left us. We thought it was immortal. He had major health problems for the past ten years and flirted with death several times, but he always survived. Diego always managed to cheat death, as he always cheated his opponents on the soccer field. That is why it is so difficult to understand that he is no longer alive.

Three days of national mourning

When news of his death arrived on Wednesday, Argentine President Alberto Fernández came out and announced three days of national mourning.

“He was one of those who touched the sky with his hands but never took his feet off the ground,” said the president of Maradona.

Nicolas Zottola agrees.

– As I said: Diego IS football for us. At the same time, he was not only a soccer player, but also a symbol of the entire country. He stood up and fought against the establishment, against those in power. He always fought for the poor, the vulnerable, the working class, the people who build society. Everybody loves him.

Published: November 26, 2020 kl. 18.22

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