Only just turned 60, grew up as a child of the 80s, 1986 WC was the first i remembered so Maradona was the main man, what a player, took a hell of a beating every game, but still managed to keep going, even with all the bad stuff
RIP
My only memory of him is his cheating against England and then him becoming a very fat drug user.
I am struggling a bit to decide whether I feel bad about this. Yes, a fleetingly wonderful footballer but he was - and will always remain in my eyes – a cheat and he comes with so much other baggage off the pitch too.
My only memory of him is cheating against England
If you remember that bit, surely you will remember what was arguably one of the best goals ever scored just a few minutes later though?
My only memory of him is cheating against England and then him becoming a very fat drug user.
Yup, shame about the drugs.
To be fair, i think growing up in Scotland meant he was seen as a bit more of a hero back in '86 ;o)
The greatest player I have seen in my football watching lifetime (I'm 52).
Edit: And English
Did bloody well to make it to 60.
He vaccinated you English.
86 was the first WC I can properly remember. Whilst many English still moan about the Hand of God, the Feet of God are what I can remember. Glorious footballer, RIP.
My only memory of him is his cheating against England and then him becoming a very fat drug user.
What a myopic roaster.
I'm amazed he made it this long. If you can put on that much weight while doing that much nosebag, you must be eating about three cows a day.
You can't say he didn't enjoy himself
If you remember that bit, surely you will remember what was arguably one of the best goals ever scored just a few minutes later though?
Nope, just remember being gutted that he got away with cheating against my team.
What a myopic roaster.
Ah well, at least I'm being honest.
Very flawed footballing genius. Too early to go, but you can't say he hadn't lived.
I'm slightly shocked that he was younger than me, I always thought he was about five years older.
"Flawed genius" as the BBC put it does seem apt but up there with the greats of the game.
RIP.
Flawed genius who has kicked his last football.
The hand of God came down and took him.
Saw him at Wembley in 1980 and he showed then what he was capable of. No one came close to his incredible ability, but he definitely spoiled his legacy with that handball goal.
As binners says, that amount of weight, on that amount of beak is insane!
RIP, flawed genius who won the world cup with a relatively average team around him. He also scored one of the best ever WC goals.
just remember being gutted that he got away with cheating against my team.
Bobby Robson talking from the grave?
Watch his film on Netflix, might explain the demons that haunted him. One of greatest and best athletes that’s ever lived. Cheated yes, but so did Thierry Henry.
just remember being gutted that he got away with cheating against my team.
Bobby Robson talking from the grave?
That's how I saw it at the time. 🙂
Some" great" comments on what is after all a RIP thread
Cheated yes, but so did Thierry Henry.
And every other player on the planet.
Diego Maradona was a great footballer
20 years coked out his tits, an alcohol dependency that he never got over , obesity, and 2 previous heart attacks..he did well to make it this far.
On a more positive note..Best player ever imo. Took a decidedly average Argentine side to 2 world cup finals, winning one of them. And scored the greatest world cup goal I can remember.
Lived fast and died only relatively young. He did well to get 60.
Various documentaries I have seen about him make it clear he was the type of bloke who could be led astray massively - mainly because he went looking for it, but also because he was a proper rags to riches in no time story. To say he was emotionally unequipped to deal with it like Roger Federer is an understatement!
His death-embrace relationship with Naples was borderline terrifying.
But a magician with the ball at his feet.
RIP.
Honestly thought he was already dead due to his lifestyle post football career.
If I was Maradona, I'd live just like him... Fantastic, poignant tribute from Manu Chao. Clip of him singing it to the man himself:
Shame I can't find a version with subtitles as it sums up a lot of what's said above.
One of the most iconic football pictures ever
God wanted his hand back.
Made football entertaining for a while.
As said, the Maradona documentary is definitely worth watching.
The greatest ever in my opinion , The second goal against England was fantastic but I still think the goal against Belgium in the same campaign is even better. What he did taking Argentina to winning the world cup single handed is second to what he did taking Napoli to success.
Flawed yes , but he wouldn't have been the character he was without the erratic behaviour. Always above Pele for me as Pele played most of career with Santos then in an inferior American league.
Rest In Peace El Diego ...
RIP lad. Superb footballer and the documentary is great.
Re: Belgium - they were a good team at that time too. This is worth a read:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jul/05/diego-maradona-belgium-famous-photo
He wouldn't have got in the Spurs team the follow year ... Clive Allen scored 49 goals !!
Saw Clive at the tip last week 🙂
Him and Best, greatest ever.
RIP - what a player, inspirational for Argentina and Napoli. The documentary is great, and a great insight into the suffocation basically in Naples, links with the Mafia etc.
Pedant mode - wasn’t his second goal v England an OG? 😃
I'm guessing the Welsh folk didnae really take to Joe Jordan either but the missing front teeth giant was another hero
I wonder if var would have picked up Diego and Joe's misdemeanours
had some good music but i preferred the earlier stuff.
