Diego Armando Maradona the world and Argentina football icon died yesterday 25th November at the age of 60. He was born on 30th October 1960 in Lanus, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is a player who is regarded generally as the top player of the 1980s and one of the greatest of all time. Maradona was also the former coach of Argentina.
The icon was well known for his ability to control the ball and create scoring opportunities for himself and others. He led his national team in the 1986 World Cup, which they won, and also club teams to championships in Argentina, Italy and Spain. Diego joined Las Cebollitas “The Little Onions” at the age of eight, a boys’ team that went on to win 136 consecutive games and a national championship.
He signed with Argentinos Junior at the age of 14 and made his first-division debut in 1976, a few days before turning 16. Maradona made his national team debut four months later, and was the youngest Argentine to do so. He was not included in the 1978 World Cup winning squad because he was considered too young.
Maradona had a fantastic career; he moved to Boca Juniors in 1981 and immediately helped them gain the championship. He then moved to Europe and played for FC Barcelona in 1982 (they won the Spanish Cup in 1983) and made a move from Barcelona FC to SSC Napoli in Italy in 1982 for a record fee of $10 million. Meanwhile, in Napoli he enjoyed great success by raising the Naples side to the heights of Italian football. With Maradona the team won the league title and cup in 1987, and the league title again in 1990.
His career in Napoli came to an end when he was arrested in Argentina for the possession of cocaine and given a 15 month suspension from playing football. Maradona then played for Seville in Spain and Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina. In 1995 he returned to Boca Juniors and played his last match on 25th October 1997.
By Anthony Macauley (Intern)