Source: Walfoot
Brilliant, crazy, divisive, genius. The great Diego Maradona divided opinion amongst football fans in England, but why should he care? He was hailed a hero, nay Godlike amongst those who globally adored him, providing some of the most iconic and inspirational moments in football history. Whilst his goalscoring and creativity are the stuff of legend, it’s the cultural impact he had on both his native Argentina and adopted home Naples that really sets him apart from the rest. For me, this makes him the greatest of all time; from a Certain Point of View of course.
Source: Wikimedia Commons via The Telegraph Online
‘There is Diego, and there is Maradona’, Maradona’s personal trainer explained, ‘Diego had his insecurities and he was nervous, but Maradona was a character he’d built to meet the demands of football and media, Maradona never showed weakness’. Diego was the family-orientated man who supported his loved ones from the tender age of 15. He became the youngest ever player to feature in the Argentine Primera Division, where, moments after coming on, he nutmegged Juan Domingo Cabrera in his first game for Argentinos Juniors. This epitomised Maradona, the player. He spent six seasons in Argentina, scoring an incredible 144 goals in little over 200 games before his 21st birthday - a drop in the ocean compared to his achievements to come. An injury-plagued move to Barcelona was sandwiched between his time at Boca Juniors, and the club that would raise him to the level of a deity.
Welcome to the ‘Sewers of Italy’
Italian football was the powerhouse of the 1980s, with most of the world’s best teams playing in the historically richer and more desirable North - Juventus, AC Milan and Internazionale. By contrast, Napoli were not. The Italian people never held back in vocalising this politics of difference, often dubbing Naples the ‘sewers’ or ‘scum’ of Italy, with racist messages directed at Napoli fans never far behind. Napoli, as well as being perceived as a cultural blemish, also did little to enhance Italian football; they finished 10th and 12th out of 14 teams in the previous two seasons and had never won a league title. That all changed in the next seven years when Diego Maradona signed for a then-world record fee of €10.48million (£6.9 million).
'Naples, Sewer of Italy' was probably the tamest of the Insults the players and fans received. Source: Maradona Documentary
The unveiling at the San Paolo was unlike anything I have ever seen before. Chants of ‘Diego, Diego’ rang around the 75,000-strong crowd; he was treated like a god, and he played the part to perfection. Sportswriter David Goldblatt summed up the feeling at the time: ‘they [the fans] were convinced that the saviour had arrived’. A promising eighth-placed finish in his first season resulted in Maradona finishing as the club’s top goal-scorer: his first of four in a row in that field. At the start of season number two, Napoli beat Juventus 1-0 at home as Maradona scored a beautiful clipped free kick. To say the fans were ecstatic is a woeful understatement… in the stadium five people fainted and two more suffered from heart attacks. If that doesn’t speak volumes about how much it meant to the Neapolitans, I don’t know what will.
Diego Armando Maradona's Unveiling at the Stadio San Paulo. Source: La Pelotita
‘After the victory over Juventus, almost every Neapolitan had a picture of Diego in their homes, on their bedside table, right next to Jesus’ – Gennaro Montouri, Napoli Ultra
Mexico ’86 – When God Reached Out
Taking a brief break from Maradona’s Napoli to move onto Maradona’s Argentina, in what may be the most defining moment of his career.
Maradona scored in a 1-1 draw against then World Champions and favourites Italy, whereafter rumours started circulating whether this was ‘his World Cup’. To that, Maradona simply replied, ‘it is Argentina’s’. He followed that game up with an impressive hat-trick of assists against South Korea, as well as guiding his side past Uruguay in the first knock-out round to meet England in the quarter-finals stage. A game riddled with political tensions, coming just four years after the conclusion of the Falklands War, this was always going to be memorable.
The rest, they say, is history.
The game against England is a perfect microcosm for Maradona’s career in its entirety. Brilliant, crazy, divisive, genius. UNPLAYABLE. This was the game that cemented Maradona in history as the greatest ever. How do you do that? A good place to start is by scoring the greatest ever World Cup goal – eloquently named as such 20 years later by FIFA as ‘The Goal of the Century’. And that’s a century that featured Pelé too…
Just four minutes after his incredible headed effort, where he inexplicably rose above Peter Shilton to guide his ‘header’ into the empty net, Maradona produced a masterpiece. Starting in his own half, he spins away from two Englishman before leaving another in his wake. Even on the bobbly surface, with blistering pace and impeccable ball control he glided past the centre back and full back with the drop of the shoulder. Rounding Shilton and passing the ball into an empty net completed a truly glorious and outstanding 10 seconds of football that makes the hair stand on the back of your neck, even as an England fan.
The Goal of the Century. Source: Football Cult on YouTube
‘[Diego] What planet did you come from?’ The Argentine commentator is almost reduced to tears after the goal.
As much as we like to think, the footballing world doesn’t stop at England. Maradona would score twice in the semi-final against Belgium to send Argentina to the final, where he assisted the crucial goal with a perfectly weighted through-ball. ‘His World Cup’ ended with a 3-2 win over West Germany as Maradona brought home Argentina’s first ever World Cup. It’s safe to say, as a World Cup-winning captain with an incredible five goals and five assists to his name, Maradona was welcomed home like the second coming of Christ.
King of the World. Source: David Yarrow via The Guardian
The Return of the King
You would have thought that almost single-handedly carrying his country to World Cup victory would be the peak of his career but no. Not for Maradona; he strived for more and would never be satisfied until he was physically unable to play.
It was Napoli’s turn in the spotlight.
Maradona guided Napoli to their first ever division title, ensuring a historic league and cup double, which sent the city into pandemonium. I am struggling to find the words to describe such an occasion; pictures and videos show it was a genuine carnival.
Maradona Leading the celebrations as Napoli claim their first ever league title. Source: SoccerFootballWhatever
The city partied like never before… for two months! Two WHOLE MONTHS. People swarmed the streets from day till night, flags draped over balconies, cars beeping their horns. It was as if a great burden had been lifted. Mock funerals were held for former giants Juventus and Milan, with the Neapolitans burning their coffins as a new empire was born. The title represented social redemption for the city, Napoli’s centre-half Ciro Ferrera exclaimed. In the midst of the celebrations Maradona stated that “Naples is my home” and that this was his best ever achievement – quite incredible when you consider he won the World Cup just 10 months prior.
Napoli Fans swarmed the streets after first title. Source: Maradona Documentary
'If you speak badly about Maradona you are criticising god' - Napoli Fan
Held Against His Will
The next four seasons were met with constant success and celebrations. Maradona averaged 20 goals a season for the next three before Italia ’90, whist also bringing home trophies including a second domestic title as well as Napoli’s first ever European Cup. He sealed the latter with what can only be described as a 20-yard header cross as Ciro turned in for the winner in a 1-0 win against Stuttgart. Of course, in typical Naples fashion, it sent the city into complete hysteria. All of this was achieved whilst routinely having five injections before each game for his excruciating back pain. After this match he asked to leave Napoli, thinking he had no more to give to the city with his work was finally completed.
UEFA Cup Champions. Source: Europa League on Twitter
Unsurprisingly, Napoli’s President Corrado Ferlaino refused to sell him. Maradona, held captive against his wishes, began to grow frustrated and suffocated by the constant wave of paparazzi that followed him around the city and invaded his personal life. This, although not known at the time, would be his final full season at Napoli, as they secured their second league title on the final day with an exquisite Maradona freekick to seal the deal. Oh, and how many titles have Napoli won since? Not a single one.
Italia '90 - Regicide
This is the definitive point in his career where those who once heralded him as a god amongst men, turned on him in an instant. For some, Maradona became the devil.
Plagued by an ankle injury, Maradona wasn’t at his diminutive best, but still managed to influence the games that mattered. An assist in a 1-0 win against the mighty Brazil took Argentina to the quarter-finals where penalties were needed to overcome Yugoslavia. It wasn’t to be in the semi-final where Diego’s problems got so much worse.
It was a complete oversight by the Italian FA. They really should have foreseen this set of circumstances. Argentina vs Italy, the host nation, the favourites. The location? The Stadio San Paolo, Naples. Before the game the tension between the rest of Italy and Naples was palpable. Naples began to implode on itself, as fights broke out. Who do they support? ‘Forza Argentina’ had started to gain traction with the southern city, with a portion of the Neapolitans remaining loyal to the man who they perceived as the adopted Saint of Naples.
The Blessed One on a Street Painting in Naples. Source: VivaDiego
Despite the build-up, the game itself was not Maradona’s best as the unrest in the stadium clearly got to him. As a player who thrived off of the support his loyal Neapolitans gave him, today he would receive very little as the air was thick with anticipation. The game finished 1-1 after 120 minutes and penalties would decide who would play in the final. Maradona had missed in his previous shoot-out, vs Yugoslavia, and whatever he did next would shape the rest of his career.
As many had predicted, Maradona had an enormous amount of pressure weighted on him. On one hand he held the hopes and dreams of the Argentines in his homeland, and on the other was his adopted family in the city of Naples - one that he had once called home. He couldn’t win. Score and lose the relationship he had built for the last 4 years or miss, and wallow in Argentinian defeat. It was a catch 22 if I have ever seen one.
He scored. Argentina went to the final.
The headline the next day?
'Maradona is the devil' Source: Tuttosport Newspaper via SportsSkeeda
The backlash was incredible. No one could have predicted how much the Italian press would turn on him. Everything he had fought for in the last four years was gone in an instant, as he was branded a villain and cast aside from Naples. He did nothing wrong. He scored a penalty in the shoot-out for his country and Italy retaliated so fiercely that it signalled the long, drawn out departure from a place he was once idolised, and a city he called home.
Argentina went on to lose the final to West Germany in Rome 1-0, after a controversial penalty was awarded in the 85th minute. Salt was well and truly rubbed in Maradona’s wounds.
It wasn't meant to be at Italia '90. Source: FIFA TV on YouTube
The End of the Road
Looking back, Diego Maradona was a very misunderstood character. People nowadays judge him by his antics off the pitch rather than focusing on the genius he was on it. I have never seen a player dribble as well with the ball. Considering the quality of the pitches back then were more like a day five India wicket than the carpets we have in today's game, it was astonishing how well he kept the ball at his feet. Maradona ended his career with an incredible 354 goals for club and country, in a career that spanned for more than 20 years, which included stints at Sevilla, Newel's Old Boys and finally ending his playing days at Boca Juniors.
His impressive trophy cabinet includes 4 domestic titles at 3 different teams, several domestic cups, a UEFA cup and of course, the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The list of individual honours is truly too long to list, but highlights include; FIFA Player of the Century (alongside Pele), FIFA Golden Ball (1986), Napoli's all-time top-goalscorer (1991 - 2017), Goal of the Century and was voted the Best Player of All-Time by FourFourTwo magazine (2017).
Maradona (R) alongside Pele (L) for the FIFA Player of the Century Award. Source: AP.
In Memoriam
On the 25th November 2020, Diego Armando Maradona died in his own home from a heart attack. The outpouring of emotion was evident everywhere, with tens of thousands of people flooding the streets in Buenos Aires to say goodbye to their king. Even more on social media paid their respects to one of the greatest ever to do it. A man so misunderstood; loved, hated and everything in between. But nobody can deny his talent. A man who wore his heart on his sleeve for both club and country and became a beacon for millions.
From a Certain Point of View, especially if you ask the city of Naples or those Argentinians old enough to have watched him, Diego Maradona is the greatest footballer to ever live. I will leave you now with the eloquent words of Gary Lineker, who made this touching tribute upon Diego’s farewell.
Gary Lineker Reflecting on Diego Maradona. Source: BT Sport on YouTube
Rest In Peace Eternal Diego.
Comments