Biography of Diego Armando Maradona, Career of
Diego Armando Maradona, victories of Diego Armando Maradona, Great champions of
football, great gunners, great champion
Diego Armando Maradona (October 30, 1960, Lanús,
Buenos Aires), is a former Argentine football player. He is regarded by
many as one of the greatest soccer players of all time.
Early years
Diego Armando Maradona was born in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown in the
southern outskirts of Buenos Aires, to a poor family who had relocated
from Corrientes Province. He was the first son after three girls. He has
two younger brothers, Hugo (el turco) and Eduardo (Lalo), both of whom
were also professional footballers.
At age 10, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing
in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of the
cebollitas, the junior team of Buenos Aires side Argentinos Juniors. As
a ball-boy in first division games, he amused spectators by showing his
wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions.
Career as a player
At age 15, Maradona made his debut with Argentinos Juniors, where he
played between 1976 and 1981 before his transfer to the club that he
supported, Boca Juniors, where he played during the remainder of the
1981 season and 1982 and secured his first league title. He debuted with
the Argentina national football team ("la selección"), at age 16,
against Hungary. At age 18, he played the Football World Youth
Championship for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, shining
in their 3–1 final win over the USSR team.
In 1982, Maradona played his first World Cup tournament. In the first
round, Argentina, as defending champions, lost to Belgium 0-1. Although
the team convincingly beat Hungary and El Salvador to progress to the
second round, they were defeated in the second round by Italy (1:2), the
side which eventually won the cup, and Brazil (1:3), during which game
Maradona was sent off for kicking an opponent.
Diego's Boca 1981 match-worn shirt, in his first season with his
favourite team that he led to win the Argentine Apertura Metropolitan
leagueLater in the year, Maradona was transferred to FC Barcelona. In
1983, under coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona won the
Copa del Rey (Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real
Madrid. However, Maradona had an unhappy tenure in Barcelona: first a
bout with hepatitis, and then an ill-timed tackle by Athletic Bilbao's
Andoni Goikoetxea that put Maradona's career on the line; Diego's
physical strength and willpower made it possible for him to be back on
the pitch after only 14 weeks. While at Barcelona Maradona was
introduced to drugs, and he remains addicted to them.
Maradona with Napoli's #10.Barcelona's management was not satisfied with
Maradona, and in 1984 transferred him to SSC Napoli, where he became an
adored star, lifting the team to its most successful era. Napoli won
their only Italian Championships (1986/87 and 1989/1990), a Coppa Italia
(1987), a UEFA Cup (1989) and an Italian Supercup (1990). Napoli were
also runners-up in the Italian Championship twice (1987/88 and 1988/89).
Maradona led the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 World
Cup, the team winning 3–2 in the final against West Germany. Throughout
the 1986 World Cup, Maradona asserted his dominance and was widely
regarded as the best player of the tournament. However, it was the two
goals he scored in the quarter-final game against England which cemented
his legend. Action replay footage showed that the first goal was scored
with the aid of his hand. He later claimed it was the "Hand of God" and
described it as "A little of the hand of God, and a little of the head
of Maradona," implying that God was ultimately responsible for the goal,
because the referee had missed the handball offense. However, on 22
August 2005 Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he hit the
ball with his hand purposely and that he immediately knew the goal was
illegitimate. He recalled thinking right after the goal that "I was
waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came . . . I told
them, 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'"
In contrast, however, Maradona's second goal was an uncontroversial and
impressive display of footballing skill. He ran half the length of the
pitch, passing five English players (Glenn Hoddle, Peter Reid, Kenny
Sansom, Terry Butcher, and Terry Fenwick) as well as goalkeeper Peter
Shilton. This goal was voted Goal of the Century in a 2002 online poll
conducted by FIFA. Argentina went on to defeat England 2-1 in that game.
The two goals were ranked 6th in the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments in
2002 by the UK's Channel 4 television channel.
Maradona also captained Argentina in the 1990 World Cup, leading his
team to the final, where they lost 1–0 to West Germany. He arrived at
the 1994 World Cup and played two games (scoring one goal) before being
sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine doping. On this matter,
he has suggested that he had an agreement, on which FIFA later reneged,
to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in
order to be able to play, so that the World Cup would not lose prestige
because of his absence. This allegation was never proved, and many
attribute his comment ("they cut off my legs") to Diego's anger at being
suspended.
In Naples, where he is still beloved (having brought the local team
their first scudetto), he also faced a scandal regarding an illegitimate
son and was the object of some suspicion over his friendship with the
Camorra, the local mafia.
Maradona left Napoli in 1992, after serving a 15-month ban for failing
the drug test for cocaine, and played for Sevilla FC (1992–93), Newell's
Old Boys (1993) and Boca Juniors (1995–97). He also attempted to work as
a coach on two short stints, leading Mandiyú of Corrientes (1994) and
Racing Club (1995) without much success. He retired from football on
October 30, 1997.
Football style
Short and stocky, Maradona had a very strong physique and could
withstand physical pressure better than almost all players. His strong
legs and low center of gravity gave him additional advantage in short
sprints. This is illustrated by his two goals against Belgium in the
1986 World Cup.
He was also a wizard with the ball and could manage himself in limited
spaces, attracting defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as
in the second goal against England), or pass to a free teammate who
would take the ball and score, like Burruchaga did to secure the 1986
World Cup.
Maradona could convert fragile possessions into goals. His goal against
Italy in the 1986 World Cup demonstrated this. In Maradona's time
defenses became more athletic, so both dribbling and securing possession
of the ball required additional speed and the ability to think under
stress.
One of Maradona's trademark moves was dribbling full-speed as a left
wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering accurate
passes to his teammates that many times proved lethal. Another trademark
was the Rabona or reverse-cross pass (shot behind the leg that holds all
the weight), with which he provided several assists, such as the
powerful cross for Ramón Díaz's header in the 1984 friendly against
Switzerland.
Maradona's kicking had a mixture of precision and power that enabled him
to score many free kicks. Since he seldom used his right foot for any
decisive action, defenders were confounded the few times he did.
Personal Agents
Jorge Cyterszpiller, a childhood friend, was Diego's first agent. He set
up Maradona Producciones but did not score any major successes with
merchandising, as counterfeiters would quickly imitate any product that
came on the market. On his advice, Maradona started charging for
interviews, a move that generated some controversy.
After breaking up with Cyterszpiller, Diego hooked up with Guillermo
Coppola, a bank employee who had started representing players as a hobby
and was already a major agent in the mid-1980s. Coppola oversaw the
biggest contracts of Diego's career, but also was involved in the drug
scandals of the early 1990s. Maradona and Coppola parted ways
acrimoniously, and they still refer to the end of their relations as an
"open wound".
Retirement and honours
In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego ("I am The
Diego"), which became an instant bestseller in his home country.
In the same year, Maradona was voted Player of the Century in an
official FIFA poll conducted on the Internet, garnering 53.6% of the
votes. Then, in an unannounced move, FIFA appointed a "Football Family"
committee, which voted to elect Pelé alongside the Argentine. Maradona
cried foul and left the awards ceremony as soon as his prize was awarded.
(For more on FIFA's handling of the issue, see this Sports Illustrated
article.)
In 2001, the Argentine Football Association asked FIFA for authorization
to retire jersey number 10 as an homage to Maradona. FIFA did not grant
the request, even though Argentine officials have maintained that FIFA
hinted that it would.
Maradona has won other polls, including a 2002 FIFA poll in which his
second goal against England was chosen as the best goal ever scored in a
World Cup; he also won the most votes in a poll to determine the
All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.
On 22 June 2005, it was announced that Maradona would return to Boca
Juniors as a sports vice president in charge of managing the First
Division roster (after a disastrous 2004–05 season, which coincided with
Boca's centenary). His contract began 1 August 2005, and one of his
first recommendations proved to be very effective: he was the one who
decided to hire Alfio Basile as the new coach. With Maradona staying
very close to the players, Boca went on to win the 2005 Apertura title,the
2006 Clausura title, the Copa Sudamericana and the Recopa. As of 2006,
Maradona remains aloof of day-to-day activities and is seen mostly on
game days, cheering from his private box in the Bombonera.
On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety
show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10 ("The Night of #10"). His
main guest on opening night was Pelé; the two had a friendly chat,
showing no signs of past differences. In subsequent evenings, he led the
ratings on all occasions but one. Most guests were drawn from the worlds
of football and show business, but also included Fidel Castro, Mike
Tyson and Hernan Crespo.
Personal life
Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on November 7, 1989
in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (b.
1987) and Giannina Dinorah (b. 1989). In his autobiography, Maradona
admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to
her as the love of his life.
Diego and Claudia divorced in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted
that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained
on friendly terms. Diego and Claudia traveled together to Napoli for a
series of homages in June 2005 [4] and were seen together in many other
occasions.
During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of
Diego Sinagra (b. Naples, 1986), as was claimed by the youth's mother
Cristiana Sinagra. (The Italian courts had so ruled in 1993, after
Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his
paternity.) Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after
tricking his way onto a golf course in Naples where Maradona was playing.
After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theater producer,
and Dalma is seeking an acting career; she has expressed her desire to
attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.
His maternal grandmother, Salvadora, is of Croatian descent, her maiden
name is Cariolichi (Kariolic), her father Mateo Kariolic emigrated from
Korcula in the end of the 19th century. Dalma, his daughter is named
afther the Croatian province of Dalmatia, in which Korcula is situated.
Health situation
In marked contrast to the athleticism he showed during his years as a
football player, Maradona has had a series of health problems since
retirement.
Since the 1990s, Maradona has been battling a cocaine addiction, which
included spells in Swiss and Cuban detox clinics. Between 2002 and 2005,
Maradona spent most of this time in Cuba.
On April 18, 2004, doctors reported that Maradona had suffered a major
heart attack following a cocaine overdose; he was admitted to intensive
care in a Buenos Aires hospital. Scores of fans gathered around the
clinic. Days after the heart attack, a nurse was caught taking photos of
Maradona with a cellular telephone and was promptly fired by the
hospital managers.
After he showed improvement, Maradona was taken off the respirator on
April 23 and remained in intensive care for several days before being
discharged on April 29. He returned to Cuba in May.
Maradona has always had a tendency to put on weight, and has displayed a
remarkable level of obesity since the late 1990s. On March 6, 2005, it
was announced that Maradona underwent gastric bypass surgery in a clinic
in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. When Maradona resumed public
appearances shortly thereafter, he displayed a notably thinner figure.
Political views
In later years, Maradona has shown sympathy to left-wing ideologies. He
became friends with Fidel Castro while in treatment in Cuba, and has a
tattoo of Ernesto Che Guevara on his right arm. He has declared his
opposition to imperialism, notably during the 2005 Summit of the
Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where he protested George W.
Bush's presence in Argentina, wearing a Stop Bush T-shirt.
Reputation
Ever since 1986, it is common for Argentines abroad to hear Maradona's
name as a token of recognition, even in remote places. In Argentina,
Maradona is often talked about in terms reserved for legends. In the
Argentine film El Hijo de la Novia ("The bride's son"), an actor who
plays a fake Catholic priest says to a bar patron: "they idolized him
and then crucified him". When scolded by a friend for taking the prank
too far, the fake priest retorts: "But I was talking about Maradona".
In Buenos Aires, fans organized the "Church of Maradona." Maradona's
43rd birthday in 2003 marked the start of the Year 43 D.D. - "despues de
Diego" or After Diego - for its founding 200 members. Tens of thousands
more have become members via the church's official web site.
Commentators in Argentina have often compared Maradona to Esteban
Laureano Maradona (1895–1995), a physician who helped indigenous
communities achieve better health standards, and was the recipient of
the 1987 UN Medicine for Peace prize. Dr. Maradona was renowned for his
modesty, and worked until his nineties, so the comparison was often
unfavorable to the footballer. Broadcaster Alejandro Dolina was the
first to denounce the unfairness of this treatment.
Hounded for years by yellow journalism, Maradona even fired a
compressed-air rifle against reporters who, so he claimed, invaded his
privacy. This quote from former teammate Jorge Valdano summarizes the
feelings of many:
He is someone many people want to emulate, a controversial figure, loved,
hated, who stirs great upheaval, especially in Argentina... Stressing
his personal life is a mistake. Maradona has no peers inside the pitch,
but he has turned his life into a show, and is now living a personal
ordeal that should not be imitated.
A columnist for the sports daily Olé welcomed Maradona's hosting a TV
show in 2005, noting that "for the first time, he seems to have found
his place in the world outside the football pitch".
Career statistics
International
1977–1994 Argentina (91 appearances, 34 goals)
21 appearances in four FIFA World Cup Championships (1982, 1986, 1990,
1994)
Argentina second-highest goal-scorer (held the record until surpassed by
Gabriel Batistuta)
Club honours
1981 Argentine league (Boca Juniors)
1983 Copa del Rey (FC Barcelona)
1987 Italian league (SSC Napoli)
1987 Italian Cup (SSC Napoli)
1988 Italian top-scorer (SSC Napoli)
1989 UEFA Cup (SSC Napoli)
1990 Italian league (SSC Napoli)
1991 Italian Super Cup (SSC Napoli)
International honours
1979 FIFA World Youth Championship
1986 FIFA World Cup winner
1990 FIFA World Cup runner-up
1993 Copa Artemio Franchi
Coaching career
1994 Mandiyú de Corrientes
1995 Racing Club de Avellaneda
2005 Boca Juniors (Football vice-president)
Individual honours
1979–1981, 1986 Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year
1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992 South American Footballer of the Year (El
Mundo, Caracas)
1986 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year
1986 Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup
1986 European Footballer of the Year (France Football)
1986–1987 Best Footballer in the World (Onze)
1986 World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine)
1996 Golden Ball for services to football (France Football)
1999 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century
2000 "FIFA best football player of the century", people's choice.
2002 "FIFA Goal of the Century" (1986 (2–0) v. England; second goal)
2005 Argentine Senate "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento" recognition for
lifetime achievement.
