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SPORTS Thursday 26 November 2020
Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona dies at 60

By DEBORA REY cheating. Four minutes
Associated Press later, he spectacularly
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina weaved past four oppo-
(AP) — Diego Maradona, nents from midfield to beat
the Argentine soccer great Shilton for what FIFA later
who scored the "Hand of declared the greatest goal
God" goal in 1986 and led in World Cup history.
his country to that year's Many Argentines saw the
World Cup title before later match as revenge for their
struggling with cocaine use country's loss to Britain in the
and obesity, has died. He 1982 war over the Falkland
was 60. Islands, which Argentines
A person close to Mara- still claim as "Las Malvinas."
dona said he died Wednes- "It was our way of recover-
day of a heart attack. The ing 'Las Malvinas,'" Mara-
person spoke to The Asso- dona wrote in his 2000 au-
ciated Press on the condi- tobiography "I am Diego."
tion of anonymity because "It was more than trying to
he was not authorized to win a game. We said the
speak publicly. game had nothing to do
Maradona died two weeks with the war. But we knew
after being released from that Argentines had died
a Buenos Aires hospital fol- there, that they had killed
lowing brain surgery. In this June 29, 1986 file photo, Diego Maradona holds up his team's trophy after Argentina's 3-2 them like birds. And this was
The office of Argentina's victory over West Germany at the World Cup final soccer match at Atzeca Stadium in Mexico City. our revenge. It was some-
president said it will de- Associated Press thing bigger than us: We
cree three days of national were defending our flag."
mourning, and the Argen- said. "One day, I hope, we on excessive drinking and many in the final and deci- It also was vindication for
tine soccer association ex- will play soccer together in eating. sive in a 2-1 victory against Maradona, who in what he
pressed its sorrow on Twit- the sky." He made an unlikely re- England in a feisty quarter- later called "the greatest
ter. Bold, fast and utterly unpre- turn to the national team final match. tragedy" of his career was
One of the most famous dictable, Maradona was a in 2008 when he was ap- Over the protests of Eng- cut from the squad of the
moments in the history of master of attack, juggling pointed Argentina coach, land goalkeeper Peter Shil- 1978 World Cup — which
the sport, the "Hand of the ball easily from one foot but after a quarterfinal exit ton, the referee let stand Argentina won at home —
God" goal, came when to the other as he raced at the 2010 World Cup in a goal by Maradona in because he was only 17.
Maradona punched the upfield. Dodging and South Africa, he was oust- which, as he admitted Maradona said he was giv-
ball into England's net dur- weaving with his low center ed — ultimately picking up years later, he intentionally en a soccer ball soon after
ing the 1986 World Cup of gravity, he shrugged off another coaching job with hit the ball with his hand in he could run.
quarterfinals. He also cap- countless rivals and often the United Arab Emirates "a bit of mischief." "I was 3 years old and I slept
tivated fans around the scored with a devastating club Al Wasl. But Maradona's impact hugging that ball all night,"
world over a two-decade left foot, his most powerful Maradona was the fifth of wouldn't be confined to he said.q
career with a bewitching weapon. eight children who grew up
style of play that was all his "Everything he was think- in a poor, gritty barrio on
own. ing in his head, he made the Buenos Aires outskirts
Although his reputation it happen with his feet," where he played a kind
was tarnished by his addic- said Salvatore Bagni, who of dirt-patch soccer that
tions and an ill-fated spell played with Maradona at launched many Argentines
in charge of the national Italian club Napoli. to international stardom.
team, he remained idol- A ballooning waistline None of them approached
ized in soccer-mad Argen- slowed Maradona's explo- Maradona's fame. In 2001,
tina as the "Pibe de Oro" or sive speed later in his ca- FIFA named Maradona
"Golden Boy." reer and by 1991 he was one of the two greatest in
"You took us to the top of snared in his first doping the sport's history, along-
the world," Argentine Presi- scandal when he admit- side Pele.
dent Alfredo Fernández ted to a cocaine habit that "Maradona inspires us,"
said on social media. "You haunted him until he retired said then-Argentina striker
made us incredibly happy. in 1997, at 37. Carlos Tevez, explaining his
You were the greatest of Hospitalized near death in country's everyman fasci-
all." 2000 and again in '04 for nation with Maradona at
The No. 10 he wore on his heart problems blamed on the 2006 World Cup in Ger-
jersey became synony- cocaine, he later said he many. "He's our idol, and
mous with him, as it also overcame the drug prob- an idol for the people."
had with Pele, the Brazilian lem. Cocaine, he once Maradona reaped titles at
great with whom Mara- said famously, had proven home and abroad, playing
dona was regularly paired to be his "toughest rival." in the early 1980s for Argen-
as the best of all time. But more health problems tinos Juniors and Boca Ju-
The Brazilian said in a state- followed, despite a 2005 niors before moving on to
ment he had lost "a dear gastric bypass that greatly Spanish and Italian clubs.
friend." trimmed his weight. Mara- His crowning achievement
"There is much more to say, dona was hospitalized in came at the 1986 World
but for now may God give early 2007 for acute hepa- Cup, captaining Argentina
his family strength," Pelé titis that his doctor blamed in its 3-2 win over West Ger-