Diego Maradona, One The Greatest Soccer Players Of All-Time, Dies At Age 60

Diego Maradona, arguably the greatest soccer player of all-time, has passed away at the age of 60. The Argentinian, who won the World Cup in 1986 and played for Boca Juniors, Napoli, Barcelona and Sevilla, is reported to have suffered a heart attack in his native Buenos Aires. He had been recovering from surgery on a brain blood clot earlier this month.

He leaves behind a complicated legacy. On the field, he was arguably the greatest player ever to kick a ball, and certainly in the top two along with the Brazilian, Pele. Few can match his achievements: his performances in the 1986 World Cup, in which he almost single-handedly carried Argentina to victory, made him into a near-deity in his homeland, while his time at Napoli, in which he took the club from mediocrity to Italian champions and UEFA Cup winners, has elevated him to similar heights.

But off the field, Maradona continually battled addiction problems and was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup after failing a drug test. During his time in Naples, he was continually linked to underworld figures from the Camorra crime group, while he was also accused of dodging the Italian taxman for decades.

Perhaps the game that most defined both elements of his personality was the 1986 World Cup Quarter Final victory over England. His first goal, the now infamous “Hand of God”, saw him controversially punch the ball into the net over England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. His second, in which he dribbled through almost the entire English defence, is widely regarded as one of the greatest goals of all time.

The win, which saw Argentina advance in a World Cup that they would go on to win, was particularly resonant because of the political context of the time: the two nations had been at war over the Falklands Islands/Malvinas just four years prior. His impact on Argentine society is unfathomable, but one indication of how he is seen in his homeland is that there is the Iglesia Maradoniana, the Church fo Maradona, with D10S, the Spanish for “god” incorporating his iconic number 10 jersey.

Maradona came through as a prodigy at Argentinos Juniors, and was controversially left out of the Argentina team that won the World Cup on home soil in 1978. He moved to Boca Juniors, the club whom he would still support from the terraces long after his retirement, and became a superstar.

A move to Barcelona followed, but ended under a cloud after Maradona, kicked from pillar to post in the match, sparked a mass brawl during the Spanish Cup Final. His stock was diminished, and he accepted a move to Naples, who before his arrival had won just one cup in their history. No team from south of Rome had ever won the Serie A national championship.

75,000 fans turned out to witness Maradona unveiled as a Napoli player, and he would deliver them two Serie A scudetti, a further Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup, won in 1989. Maradona went further than just a player: he was a god in Naples, and to this day, his image covers the city in graffiti. At the time, a graveyard wall featured the message “You don’t know what you’re missing”, aimed at the dead who never saw Diego play.

After retirement, Maradona barely faded into the background. He met with the likes of Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales and had outspoken views regarding imperialism in South America. He managed the Argentina team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and was spotted regularly in the stands at national team and Boca Juniors games.

He had enjoyed a peripatetic lifestyle in recent years, managing the Middle East, Mexico, Belarus and Argentina. He had struggled with health issues for several years and eventually succumbed this Wednesday. He leaves behind a footballing legacy that few can ever match.

Source: Forbes – Business