one of the best footballers in history, Diego Maradona, died less than a month after his sixtieth birthday. The 1986 Argentine world champion and idol of many generations has suffered a cardiac arrest today. After the death of a man who has the status of a national hero in his homeland, Argentine President Alberto Fernández declared a three-day state mourning.
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Diego Armando Maradona died on Wednesday. | Video: Reuters
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“Maradona was and will forever be the hero of our football. A symbol that was able to transfer the colors of the Argentine flag to every corner of the planet. Diego defined his era thanks to his indescribable and unsurpassed talent. The football planet will remember you forever,” they said in a statement saying , “Diego” representatives of the Argentine Football Federation.
Maradona has been battling serious health problems in recent weeks. In early November, he had to undergo sudden surgery due to a brain hemorrhage, and after being released from the hospital two weeks ago, he was to undergo a withdrawal treatment due to his long-term alcohol dependence.
The ball magician Maradona, who is considered the best footballer in history along with the Brazilian Pele, has repeatedly had serious health problems due to his lifestyle. The legendary offensive player was addicted to drugs, struggling with overweight and heart problems, for which he was often hospitalized.
Pelé also praised the miraculous child
A native of Lanús, he was considered a miracle football child from an early age. He made his debut in the Argentinos Juniors colors in the top competition shortly before his 16th birthday, and a few months later he wore a national team jersey for the first time. In 1979, he led Argentina to the Under-20 World Cup, and transferred to Boky Juniors two years later.
After the unsuccessful 1982 World Cup, FC Barcelona made him the most expensive player in the world, but he became a star of the first magnitude only after another record transfer to Naples in 1984.
I hope we will still play together in heaven, Pelé said in response to Maradon’s death:
What sad news. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend. There is still much to be said, but for now, may God give strength to family members. One day, I hope we can play ball together in the sky. pic.twitter.com/6Li76HTikA
– Pelé (@Pele) November 25, 2020
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“Whoever saw him play had to love him. Whoever saw him live had to cry over him,” he said aptly to his competitor in the fight for the imaginary title of football king Pelé. In a FIFA poll for the best player of the century in 2000, the Argentine won the fans’ vote, while experts preferred the Brazilians.
“Divine Diego” performed incredible tricks with the ball, invented wonderful passes and scored beautiful goals. The one from the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup against England, in which a stocky football player of small stature bypassed six players of an opponent during a 60-meter solo, even earned the nickname goal of the century. In the same match, Maradona showed his second face when he handed the first goal with his hand and for a long time refused to admit it, saying that it was the hand of God.
Maradon’s “goal of the century”:
Maradona spent the most famous moments in the national team, in club colors he shone the most in the Naples jersey. He played for the national team at four world championships, in 1986 as a captain and the best player of the tournament, he led him to gold and four years later to silver. He again helped Naples to two titles or a triumph in the UEFA Cup.
After a career, he struggled with addictions
The stellar career of a player with a top ten got serious cracks in April 1991, when he was punished by a 15-month start ban for finding cocaine in his body. Since then, it has been downhill with Maradona: in the same year he was convicted of illegal drug possession, later his tax evasion in Italy surfaced, he shot from an air rifle after journalists and his engagement in Seville ended in failure.
An attempt at a comeback at the 1994 World Championships in the USA sharply cut off another positive doping finding, which was again followed by a long distance. After his expiration, Maradona alternated farewell and returned before he finally hung his football boots on a nail in October 1997. Then he was unsuccessfully treated for drug addiction, which, together with overweight and heart problems, repeatedly led him to the intensive care unit.
Four years later, Maradona was appointed coach of the Argentine national team as a cured (and much easier thanks to gastric surgery), although he had minimal experience with coaching. He eventually advanced to the World Cup in South Africa with the team, and despite the quarterfinal elimination with Germany, he enjoyed great fan support. After the championship, however, the father of eight children he had with five women did not agree with the union on the conditions and ended up in office. He then worked without major success in the UAE, Belarus, Mexico and most recently in the average Argentine team Gimnasia y Esgrima.
Less than a month after his 60th birthday, Maradona died today.
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