LEGENDS: Diego Armando Maradona. If the stadium was our church, Maradona was our God. He was to football what The Beatles were to music. A master of his profession, a virtuoso who produced the best, time and time again. Football is a wonderful gift. It can divide a city, yet unite a nation. It can tear people apart yet bring them together. It allows us to revel in the brilliance and elegance of others; it gives life meaning by providing an unreal world, which is real. Very few players have the personality or the talent to achieve that, Diego Maradona did. He united Argentina in a way the South Americans had never experienced before causing waves of emotional outpouring for his footballing gift. When the ball was at his feet anything, and I mean anything, was possible. He was, in my opinion, the most exhilarating player to ever play. I say this because, it did not matter if he was 40 yards from goal on the wing with his back to goal or deep in his own half; every time he touched the ball, a goal was a real possibility. He provided moments that had fans on the edge of their seat, strangers would kiss each other in jubilation, drinks would be thrown into the air in fits of celebration. Off the field people liked him because he was honest and outspoken. He wasn’t afraid to tell people what he thought. I have had the very good fortune and privilege of watching all of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup campaign in Mexico via various channels of technology and my word, what a player he was. It was Maradona’s performance against England at the ’86 World Cup which has attracted the most attention, for two reasons: the ‘Hand of God’ & the ‘Goal of The Century’. A match which perfectly encapsulated his frightening ability and incredulous genius. Picking the ball up in his own half, he waltzed through the English defence as if they were cones, before rounding English goalkeeper Peter Shilton and finishing what would go on to be labelled the ‘Goal of the Century’. At that 1986 World Cup, he was feared, loathed and respected all in one cluster of emotion. He was ferocious, like a lion being released into the colosseum. He stood at 165cm in reality, but once he crossed that white line of paint he strutted around like a God. There was an arrogance about him that people appreciated. He could have asked for a trip to the moon and someone would have made it possible. He produced moments only South American commentators could describe with a verbal frenzy increasing with every touch he took, every yard he got closer to goal, in fluctuating tones that eventuated in the commentator losing their voice in pure ecstasy or breaking out into an impromptu song. A true No. 10, a playmaker in every sense of the word – selfish at the right times and unselfish when a better option presented itself. Tight control, superb vision, an uncanny ability to read the game and a fantastic change of pace helped him withstand astonishing amounts of physical abuse from opposing teams producing truly breathtaking moments of flair. Maradona led a helter skelter life. He was a flawed genius who was no stranger to the limelight, sometimes for the right reasons, and just as often for the wrong. I can only imagine the even greater heights the little maestro may have reached had he not condemned himself to life of illegal substances and took responsibility for the gift that had been bestowed upon him. Maradona’s influence spread far and wide in Argentina. So much so that I have no doubt that there are enough Diego’s in Argentina that if they all lived together, they would have the largest city population in South America. As a person, many questioned his character and life choices. As a footballer, no one has ever deprived him as one of, if not the greatest. Love him or hate him, there is no denying his brilliance, his utter ruthlessness. It’s hard to compare different generations and eras. The game has become closely scrutinised and undeniably quicker. That aside I have no doubts Maradona, in his prime, would fit comfortably into any of the world’s best teams today. He was the original genius, the original maestro. El Pibe de Oro, The Golden Boy, Diego Armando Maradona. Thnx.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 14:02:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015