RIP Diego Maradona

[Wendigo7]

Passed away aged 60

[backrow]

Yeah just saw this on the ticker - hard to feel as sad as domici though

2020 just keeps on giving

[DOB]

Holy shit.

I'm at the very least partly surprised that he survived to the age of 60, but still.

[Short Man Syndrome]

For my money, the greatest footballer who ever lived. RIP, you crazy Argentinian genius.

"You have to say... that's magnificent!"

[Enzedder]

RIP you mad genius. We know where is hand is but I wonder if his soul followed

[iarmhiman]

The greatest footballer of all time.

RIP

[LandOTurk]

For my money, the greatest footballer who ever lived. RIP, you crazy Argentinian genius.

"You have to say... that's magnificent!"

Me too. Brilliant, brilliant player. Recently saw a docu on him. Just not the best person.

[Azlan Roar]

Gary Lineker puts it in the back of the net.

His documentary When Lineker Met maradona is a good watch.

[danny_fitz]

Did God want his hand back?

[Short Man Syndrome]

For my money, the greatest footballer who ever lived. RIP, you crazy Argentinian genius.

"You have to say... that's magnificent!"

Me too. Brilliant, brilliant player. Recently saw a docu on him. Just not the best person.

I don't think he was a bad dude... he put up with a LOT because of his fame. My favourite line [good one! - Ed] from his autobiography was:

Interviewer: People say that you were doing huge amounts of cocaine while playing for Barcelona, is this true?
DM: Yes! It was true! And look at how I played - I was amazing!

Maradona hoofing up the blow on the pitch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIygalhVZ00

[SaintK]

Did God want his hand back?

It would have been holding a massive bag of coke.
Not sure how he lasted so long with his lifestyle?

[YOYO]

Ah no way. He lived longer than many probably expected.
A proper little genius.

[DOB]

Yeah just saw this on the ticker - hard to feel as sad as domici though

2020 just keeps on giving

Are substance abuse and depression 2 edges of the same sword? Diego had his demons, no less than Christophe. Just looked on google, and it looks like he had withdrawal symptoms after coming out of surgery just 2 weeks ago.

[message #2527204]

You wonder how good other players would have been with the same drugs in them.

RIP

[bimboman]

Brilliant and still possibly the best football player I’ve ever seen. Absolute shit of a human being .

[Gavin Duffy]

Brilliant and still possibly the best football player I’ve ever seen. Absolute shit of a human being .

[DOB]

Brilliant and still possibly the best football player I’ve ever seen. Absolute shit of a human being .

Things nobody mentions about that goal;

The skill from Maradona, surrounded by defenders, to get the pass away to start the 1-2.
Wtf was Hodge doing hacking it up in the air, when it looked simpler to hoof it away.
Hand or not, Shilton really should've been able to outjump the midget.

[Trostan]

The only reason that George Best was greater than Maradonna was that Best never got involved in substance abuse and lived a quiet, modest, Protestant, Ulster lifestyle, same as Alex Higgins.

[de_Selby]

Things nobody mentions about that goal;

The skill from Maradona, surrounded by defenders, to get the pass away to start the 1-2.
Wtf was Hodge doing hacking it up in the air, when it looked simpler to hoof it away.
Hand or not, Shilton really should've been able to outjump the midget.

Also focusing on that goal does a disservice to the incredible second goal he scored

[Short Man Syndrome]

As well as getting his hands on the WC, his achievements with Napoli remain the most impressive. Single-handedly winning the league twice and running-up twice - you could argue that maybe Napoli had some other useful players, but not really.

At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career: he soon inherited the captain's armband from Napoli veteran defender Giuseppe Bruscolotti[47] and quickly became an adored star among the club's fans; in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history.[45] Maradona played for Napoli at a period when north–south tensions in Italy were at a peak due to a variety of issues, notably the economic differences between the two.[45] Led by Maradona, Napoli won their first ever Serie A Italian Championship in 1986–87.[45] Goldblatt wrote, "The celebrations were tumultuous. A rolling series of impromptu street parties and festivities broke out contagiously across the city in a round-the-clock carnival which ran for over a week. The world was turned upside down. The Neapolitans held mock funerals for Juventus and Milan, burning their coffins, their death notices announcing 'May 1987, the other Italy has been defeated. A new empire is born.'"[45] Murals of Maradona were painted on the city's ancient buildings, and newborn children were named in his honour.[45] The following season, the team's prolific attacking trio, formed by Maradona, Bruno Giordano and Careca, was later dubbed the "Ma-Gi-Ca" (magical) front-line.[48]

Napoli would win their second league title in 1989–90, and finish runners up in the league twice, in 1987–88 and 1988–89.[45] Other honours during the Maradona era at Napoli included the Coppa Italia in 1987, (as well as a second-place finish in the Coppa Italia in 1989), the UEFA Cup in 1989 and the Italian Supercup in 1990.[45] During the 1989 UEFA Cup Final against Stuttgart, Maradona scored from a penalty in a 2–1 home victory in the first leg, later assisting Careca's match–winning goal,[49][50] while in the second leg on 17 May – a 3–3 away draw –, he assisted Ciro Ferrara's goal with a header.[51][52] Despite primarily playing in a creative role as an attacking midfielder, Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A in 1987–88, with 15 goals, and was the all-time leading goalscorer for Napoli, with 115 goals,[53] until his record was broken by Marek Hamšík in 2017.

[Glaston]

They need to put cast of his hand on his coffin

[Leinsterman]

Terrible shame. That documentary film released earlier this year was brilliant.

[message #2527204]

As well as getting his hands on the WC, his achievements with Napoli remain the most impressive. Single-handedly winning the league twice and running-up twice - you could argue that maybe Napoli had some other useful players, but not really.

At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career: he soon inherited the captain's armband from Napoli veteran defender Giuseppe Bruscolotti[47] and quickly became an adored star among the club's fans; in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history.[45] Maradona played for Napoli at a period when north–south tensions in Italy were at a peak due to a variety of issues, notably the economic differences between the two.[45] Led by Maradona, Napoli won their first ever Serie A Italian Championship in 1986–87.[45] Goldblatt wrote, "The celebrations were tumultuous. A rolling series of impromptu street parties and festivities broke out contagiously across the city in a round-the-clock carnival which ran for over a week. The world was turned upside down. The Neapolitans held mock funerals for Juventus and Milan, burning their coffins, their death notices announcing 'May 1987, the other Italy has been defeated. A new empire is born.'"[45] Murals of Maradona were painted on the city's ancient buildings, and newborn children were named in his honour.[45] The following season, the team's prolific attacking trio, formed by Maradona, Bruno Giordano and Careca, was later dubbed the "Ma-Gi-Ca" (magical) front-line.[48]

Napoli would win their second league title in 1989–90, and finish runners up in the league twice, in 1987–88 and 1988–89.[45] Other honours during the Maradona era at Napoli included the Coppa Italia in 1987, (as well as a second-place finish in the Coppa Italia in 1989), the UEFA Cup in 1989 and the Italian Supercup in 1990.[45] During the 1989 UEFA Cup Final against Stuttgart, Maradona scored from a penalty in a 2–1 home victory in the first leg, later assisting Careca's match–winning goal,[49][50] while in the second leg on 17 May – a 3–3 away draw –, he assisted Ciro Ferrara's goal with a header.[51][52] Despite primarily playing in a creative role as an attacking midfielder, Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A in 1987–88, with 15 goals, and was the all-time leading goalscorer for Napoli, with 115 goals,[53] until his record was broken by Marek Hamšík in 2017.

He was a drug cheat.

[DOB]

He was a drug cheat.

Let's be clear.

He took a lot of drugs.

He once cheated to score a goal in a World Cup quaterfinal.

The 2 were not related.

Lance Armstrong he was not.

[eldanielfire]

Passed away aged 60

Genius is an overused term, but Maradona was certainly a genius of football. Brilliant, crazy and lived life on his terms.

fudge you 2020, you've gone too far!

[eldanielfire]

He was a drug cheat.

Nah, substance abuse isn't the same as doping.

[message #2527204]

He was banned for a couple of seasons for doping. His 'substance' of choice was cocaine and you say that isn't performance enhancing?

[eldanielfire]

I always loved this picture of him. It's like the whole Belgium team was trying to stop him:

[eldanielfire]

He was banned for a couple of seasons for doping. His 'substance' of choice was cocaine and you say that isn't performance enhancing?

Coke works for about 10-15 minutes and I doubt he was taking it for doping reasons.

[Anonymous 1]

Great footballer but no serious argument can be made that he was the greatest imo

[DOB]

Great footballer but no serious argument can be made that he was the greatest imo

No other player can be said to have come as close to having won the World Cup basically as a solo operation. You don't have to accept him as the best ever, but you can't have the conversation without mentioning his name.

[Short Man Syndrome]

He 'may' have been on the sniff, but I fail to see how that would enable ANYONE to take a mediocre, mid-table team like Napoli and win the league TWICE and nearly FOUR times, in what could be considered to be a very strong period for Italian football. Even Michael Jordan had Scotty Pippen.

[message #2527204]

He 'may' have been on the sniff, but I fail to see how that would enable ANYONE to take a mediocre, mid-table team like Napoli and win the league TWICE and nearly FOUR times, in what could be considered to be a very strong period for Italian football. Even Michael Jordan had Scotty Pippen.

Probably involved threats of violence to the opposition. He was a convicted cheat.

RIP

[Anonymous 1]

Great footballer but no serious argument can be made that he was the greatest imo

No other player can be said to have come as close to having won the World Cup basically as a solo operation. You don't have to accept him as the best ever, but you can't have the conversation without mentioning his name.

It wasn't a great team but they weren't shite but the greats are more judged on what they have done for their country than their club sides. I just think you remember the players of your youth as better than they really were.
Ronaldos record for his clubs and country is just so far superior to anyone who has ever played it's not close. He has 102 international goals with only one player in history scoring more. He has 9 international hatricks as well. Like him or not it's just not close. Imagine if portugal were any good.

[inactionman]

Things nobody mentions about that goal;

The skill from Maradona, surrounded by defenders, to get the pass away to start the 1-2.
Wtf was Hodge doing hacking it up in the air, when it looked simpler to hoof it away.
Hand or not, Shilton really should've been able to outjump the midget.

Also focusing on that goal does a disservice to the incredible second goal he scored

Aye. Close control, acceleration, finish. That goal had the lot, he had the lot.

Shame he lost a bit of it with the Butcher of Bilboa or whatever his name was crunching him, and tragic he's gone before his time.

[inactionman]

He was banned for a couple of seasons for doping. His 'substance' of choice was cocaine and you say that isn't performance enhancing?

Probably not the way he shovelled it in.

[LandOTurk]

Great footballer but no serious argument can be made that he was the greatest imo

No other player can be said to have come as close to having won the World Cup basically as a solo operation. You don't have to accept him as the best ever, but you can't have the conversation without mentioning his name.

It wasn't a great team but they weren't shite but the greats are more judged on what they have done for their country than their club sides. I just think you remember the players of your youth as better than they really were.
Ronaldos record for his clubs and country is just so far superior to anyone who has ever played it's not close. He has 102 international goals with only one player in history scoring more. He has 9 international hatricks as well. Like him or not it's just not close. Imagine if portugal were any good.

All fair and reasonable, but lacks perspective.

When Maradona played, hacking was a legit legal defense. Nowadays, and quite rightly, players (especially the great ones) are given more protection. Its a significant part of why the top forwards score so many goals.

Olivier Giroud has scored 44 goals in 105 games for France
Maradona scored 24 in 91 for Argentina

Yet Giroud is not in France's best 5 ever strikers despite being 2nd highest goal scorer for his country.

The number of times he rode a scything tackle was amazing - being 5'5" tall helped of course, but less in the air (hand of God excepted).

Having said that, average goals per game has not changed massively between the 80s and now.

And being a madcap coke addict didn't help him either.

[Fruit and Nutt]

He was banned for a couple of seasons for doping. His 'substance' of choice was cocaine and you say that isn't performance enhancing?

Coke works for about 10-15 minutes and I doubt he was taking it for doping reasons.

Maybe if you buy it from a stranger behind the bins down a dark alley. Decent stuff lasts for hours.

So a friend told me anyway.

[Winnie]

The only reason that George Best was greater than Maradonna was that Best never got involved in substance abuse and lived a quiet, modest, Protestant, Ulster lifestyle, same as Alex Higgins.

And by incredible coincidence they both passed away on the same date 25th November
15 years apart
People always talk about the hand of God, but the second goal and the goal he scored against Belgium were two of the finest in World Cup final history
He seemed to have the demons that sometimes comes with genius
RIP

[fonzeee]

And being a madcap coke addict didn't help him either.

Apparently it depends who you ask.