Diego Maradona - 1960-2020

Fatal heart attack after surgery, aged 60.

“I am Maradona, who makes goals, who makes mistakes. I can take it all, I have shoulders big enough to fight with everybody. When God decides its time, I guess he'll come for us.”

 

The epitome of the flawed genius. Could do stuff with a football which looked like CGI, but obviously had more than his share of demons. The Mozart of footballers. RIP.

 

Screwed up and morally bankrupt but one of the best players of all time. Sad news.

 

He was a great player and may he RIP, but like many players before him he lost his way when his playing days were behind him. It's sad that he died far too young, but at least he can now shake "The Hand of God" and thank God for his assist in that infamous game in the 86 World Cup

 

Truly shocked by this news,even allowing for his recent hospitalisation.
Single handedly ( no pun intended) won the 1986 tournament and gave Napoli a first and second title.
Flawed? Of course but as Marc Jordan sang " I've got worn out shoes 'cos my feet are made of lead".
One of the top three if not THE best.
RIP.

 

Three days of national mourning in Argentina. Blimey.

 

It is also exactly four years to the day of the death of Fidel Castro Ruz. The two of them were great friends.

Diego came to Cuba for rehabilitation from his addictions first, but he grew to love the island and its people and visited many times, staying for long periods.


".....and then Shilton shouted Handball, Handball!..."

He even had tattoos of both Fidel and Che on his arm and leg and helped to train the Cuban national team for a while. That is why he was loved in the barrios throughout Latin America - because he never stopped being part of the people.

"If I were Maradona, I'd would live like him, I'd shout at FIFA..I am the great thief!"

RIP comrade. Hasta la victoria siempre.

 

Was in Naples last year, the man is still adored there all these years later and rightly so. I put him above Pele, who knows where Messi and Ronaldo come into it, but what a player.

The documentary made last year is a great watch for anyone who hasn't seen it.

 

Fantastic player in his heyday, but that time was too short because of issues outside his footballing skills. I recall watching him being assaulted on the pitch (well able to give it too). It was a far more brutal sport back in the 80's. Injuries, drugs, mental health issues and incredible fame meant that he had no chance of having a peaceful retirement. A larger than life character for such a small man. RIP

 

Never liked the ****.

 

One heck of a player who much like George Best suffered from addiction issues. Didn't like him as a person (not that I knew him) but as a footballer one of the very best

 

I heard he spoke very highly of you, though.

 

Great footballer but immensely flawed, in 1986, even if after the final he admitted punching the ball past Shilton rather than saying it was divine intervention he may have been partly forgiven but two failed drugs tests one in 91 and the other during WC94 showed the man had no respect for anyone or any organisation.

 

The word 'great' is so overused, particularly about footballers, but he certainly was. Glad to say I saw him play live once.

 

Pele has lived a markedly different lifestyle, although he has been open about erectile problems.

 

This

 

Think he was the best of all time - the only player to effectively win the WC on his own.

was interesting to hear Lineker about the 86 game - despite all the (correct) moaning about the hand of god, he said the second was the greatest goal of all time because of the terrible pitch. He said that nobody else could ever have had that control on that surface. Genius is an overused word, but in football terms, he was. Flawed, certainly, but a genius, definitely

 

Amazing talent. Too young to die. RIP.

 

His second in the semi final was pretty special too. Almost forgotten amongst all the England talk but arguably the better performance was in the semi final.

 

Best player of all time for me. Very sad.

 

Yup agreed

 

That second goal against england was just unbelievable though - just seen it again on the news. The pitch was appalling and the ball was still tied to his foot. Very reminiscent of a young andre gray

 

Yes, in part by cheating.

 

Cheating is only defined by which side you are on - Harry Kane has been known to, ahem, go down easily under a challenge. If he wins the penalty that wins England the Euros, nobody in this country would give a ****.

Maradona still the only player to win it by himself. As someone said (Bobby Robson?) : Arsenal would have won the World Cup in 1986 if they had Maradona in their side.

 

Nope, don’t agree. Cheating is breaking the rules to your advantage. For that reason alone, I don’t think he can be considered the greatest of all time.

The second goal was fantastic, though.

(But what if Robson had brought on Barnes earlier...?).

 

This picture of him with Queen in 1981 shows how absurd it was for Argentina and the UK to go to war a year later. A phoney animosity whipped up by the Junta.

 

And me.

 

Wot, no Rod Laver?

 

Everyone's doing jokes today!

 

Would rather die at 60 and have a working throbber.

Maradona should have that written on his gravestone.

 

Well we will have to agree to differ

 

Fair enough. He was certainly one of the greatest at the very least.

(But I still think England would have won that game if Barnes had cone on earlier!).