In the afternoon of Wednesday 25th November, the world was sent into a state of shock as news broke that Diego Armando Maradona, widely regarded to be the best player to ever grace a football pitch, had passed away in his home after suffering a cardiac rest. This article will take a look at the life of the Argentinian icon and how his legacy will be remembered for years to come.
Whilst many have chosen to reminisce and focus on the flawed aspect of Maradona’s life, it is important to remember and rejoice in the truly wonderful career of Maradona and his story in general. Born on 30th October 1960, it was clear from an early age in his tenure with Argentinos Juniors that he was talented- his silky style, which provoked current Tottenham Manager Jose Mourinho to say ‘with him you didn’t know where he finished and the ball started,’ was evident and it was his pure elegance on the pitch that won him a 4 million dollar move to South American giants Boca Juniors in 1981, where he spent a successful season before departing to Barcelona in 1982. Slowly, not only were the world beginning to see the skill of Diego, but also the world’s first real global sporting megastar was beginning to develop.
However, his spell at arguably the biggest club in the world, Barcelona, did not work out, and Maradona was forced to find new pastures- Italy. Joining Napoli, an Italian team who had never won a league title and were minnows in comparison to Maradona’s previous clubs, Maradona finally began to mark his stamp on the footballing world. It was during his 7-year stint with Napoli that Maradona blew up. Not only did he guide the Italian side to 5 trophies, including the club’s first 2 ever Serie A titles, meaning he gained cult status, he single handedly won the 1986 World Cup for Argentina.
Ah, the 1986 World Cup. As with all things relating to Maradona, his brilliance came hand in hand with controversy, namely the infamous ‘Hand of God.’ Though this is what many choose to remember him for during this tournament, what many fail to remember is his sheer brilliance that catapulted his name into shining lights and instated his name into the record books as one of the greats. 5 goals and 5 assists in just 8 appearances against the most elite players in the world, including what many believe to be the goal of the 20th century when he ran the length of the pitch with the ball to score against England, carried his South American nation to their second ever World Cup trophy. What was even more impressive was that he seemed to win this alone, with no other superstars, and this was acknowledged by Manchester United great Eric Cantona, who said that "The crucial difference with Pele is that Maradona wasn't surrounded by great players; he had to carry the team himself, if you took Maradona out of Argentina, they would not win the World Cup, but I think Brazil without Pele would still have won."
Maradona’s simple yet infectious personality that the majority are unaware of is seemingly tarnished by people’s perception of him as a character overwhelmed by the limelight and thus was vulnerable to addictions. Yet the true Maradona that people do not know about was a simple, humble man, who was at the same time eccentric and capable of lighting up a room. Gianfranco Zola, teammate of the Argentinian legend at Napoli in the 1989/90 season described as ‘an ordinary lad like the rest of us,’ whilst it his close relationship with his fans, in particular Argentinians and Napoli supporters, showed his respect and likeability.
Thus, when the news broke of Maradona’s passing, not only was the entire world hit hard, but those closest to him, the fans of Argentina and Napoli, seemed to suffer the most. Argentinian president Alberto Fernandez released a statement that there would be 3 days of mourning following his passing, an event that usually follows the death of a monarch. This is potentially the best example of how many saw Maradona to be a King. Thousands of Neapolitans gathered outside the stadium to pay tributes to their God, whilst all Napoli players wore Maradona 10 shirts as a tribute. Though these instances were where the effect was felt most forcefully, it is not to say that shockwaves did not reverberate around the footballing and sporting world. Countless tributes to Diego poured in from around the globe, with names such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Pele remembering the wonderful effect Maradona had on their lives, whilst Lionel Messi, who is considered to be the greatest to play football along with Maradona, wrote to his mentor and inspiration ‘he leaves us but does not leave, because Diego is eternal.’
Though there will never be another Diego Armando Maradona, his legacy will live on for many years. He will be remembered for the greatest individual performance of all time in the 1986 World Cup, he will forever be seen as a King in the eyes of Argentinians for such a feat, he will be forever seen as a God by all in Naples for his achievements in his 7-year spell, and although Messi is not the same and never will be, many see elements of Maradona in the current Barcelona number 10. Epitomised through the strong possibility that Napoli’s stadium will be renamed in honour of Diego Armando Maradona, it is clear that although Diego is no longer with us, he will never truly be gone from our memory and our hearts.
