Diego Maradona

**Diego Armando Maradona Franco** (, 30 October 1960-25 November 2020) wis a Argentine fitbaw coach as well as a manager an umwhile player. Mony experts, fitball creetics, umwhile players, current players an fitbaw fans consider Maradona tae be the greatest fitbaw player o aw time. He wis jynt FIFA Player o the 20t Century wi Pelé. On 25 November 2020, Maradona deet o cardiac arrest at a hame in Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

## Club career

### Argentinos Juniors an Boca Juniors
On 20 October 1976, Maradona made his profeesional debut wi Argentinos Juniors, ten days afore his saxteent birthday. He played thare atween 1976 an 1981, scorin 115 goals in 167 appearances afore his £1m transfer tae Boca Juniors. Haein jynt the Boca squad midwey throu the 1981 saison, Maradona played throu 1982 earnin his first league championship medal. Whilst playin for Argentinos Juniors, Inglis club Sheffield United negotiatit a fee o £600,000 for the 17-year auld but then realised thay coudna afford it.

### Barcelona
Efter the 1982 Warld Cup, in Juin, Maradona wis transferred tae FC Barcelona in Spain for a then warld record fee o £5m ($7.6m). In 1983, unner coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona an Maradona wan the Copa del Rey (Spain's annual naitional cup competeetion), beatin Real Madrid, an the Spaingie Super Cup, beatin Athletic Bilbao. Housomeivver, Maradona haed a difficult tenur in Barcelona. First a bout wi hepatitis, then a breuken ankle caused bi an ill-timit tackle bi Athletic's Andoni Goikoetxea threatened wi jeopardizin Maradona's career, but efter treatment an therapy it wis possible for him tae suin be back on the pitch.

Durin his twa injury-hit saisons at Barcelona, Maradona scored 38 goals in 58 gemmes. At Barcelona, Maradona got intae frequent disputes wi the team's directors, especially club preses Josep Lluís Núñez, culminatin wi a demand tae be transferred oot o Camp Nou in 1984. He wis transferred tae Napoli in Italy's Serie A for anither warld record fee, £6.9m ($10.48m).

### Napoli
At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak o his profeesional career. He quickly became an adored starn amang the club's fans, an in his time thare he elevatit the team tae the maist successfu era in its history. Led bi Maradona, Napoli wan thair anerly Serie A Italian Championships in 1986/87 an 1989/1990, placin seicont in the league twice, in 1987/88 an 1988/89. Ither honors durin the Maradona era at Napoli includit the Coppa Italia in 1987, (seicont place in the Coppa Italia in 1989), the UEFA Cup in 1989 an the Italian Supercup in 1990. Maradona wis the top scorer in Serie A in 1987/88.

Durin his time in Italy, Maradona's personal problems increased. His cocaine uise continued, an he receivit US $70,000 in fines frae his club for missin gemmes an practices, ostensibly acause o 'stress'. He faced a scandal thare regardin an illegitimate son; an he wis the object o some suspicion ower an allegit friendship wi the Camorra an aw.

Later on, in honour o Maradona an his achievements durin his career at Napoli, the No. 10 jersey o Napoli wis offeecially retired.

### Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys an Boca Juniors
Efter servin a 15-month ban for failin a drog test for cocaine, Maradona left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. Despite interest frae Real Madrid o Spain an Olympique Marseille o Fraunce, he signed for Sevilla o Spain, whaur he stayed for ane year. In 1993 he played for Newell's Old Boys an in 1995 he returned tae Boca Juniors for twa years. Maradona appeared for Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly match against Internazionale an aw, shortly afore the 1986 Warld Cup. The match wis Osvaldo Ardiles' testimonial, who insistit his friend Maradona played, which Tottenham wan 2–1. He played alongside Glenn Hoddle, who gae up his nummer ten sark for the Argentine. 

## International career

Durin his time wi the Argentine naitional team, Maradona scored 34 goals in 91 appearances. He made his full internaitional debut at age 16, against Hungary on 27 Februar 1977. At age 18, he played the Warld Youth Championship for Argentinae, an wis the starn o the tournament, shinin in thair 3–1 feenal win ower the Soviet Union. On 2 Juin 1979, Maradona scored his first senior internaitional goal in a 3–1 win against Scotland at Hampden Park. He is the anerly player tae win the Golden Ball at baith the FIFA U-20 Warld Cup an FIFA Warld Cup, in 1979 an 1986.

### 1982 Warld Cup

Maradona played his first Warld Cup tournament in 1982. Argentinae played Belgium in the openin gemme o the 1982 Cup in Barcelona. The Catalan croud wis eager tae see thair new warld-record signin Diego Maradona in action, but he did no perform tae expectations. Argentinae, the defendin champions, lost tae Belgium 1–0. Awtho the team convincingly beat Hungary an El Salvador tae progress tae the seicont roond, thay wur defeatit in the seicont roond bi Brazil an bi eventual winners Italy. The Italian match is renouned for Maradona bein aggressively man-markit bi Claudio Gentile, as Italy beat Argentinae in Maradona's new hame ceety o Barcelona. Maradona played in aw five matches athoot bein substitutit, scorin twice against Hungary. Efter bein fouled repeatitly in aw gemmes an in pairticularly the last ane against Brazil, Maradona's temper eventually got the better o him an he wis sent aff wi 5 minutes remainin for a serious retaliatory foul against Joao Batista da Silva.

### 1986 Warld Cup

Maradona captained the Argentine naitional team tae veectory in the 1986 FIFA Warld Cup, winnin the feenal in Mexico against West Germany. Throuoot the 1986 Warld Cup Maradona assertit his dominance an wis the maist dynamic player o the tournament. He played ivery minute o ivery Argentinae gemme, scored 5 goals an made 5 assists, three o those in the openin match against Sooth Korea. His first goal o the tournament came against Italy in the seicont group gemme. Efter scorin twa goals in the 2–1 quairter-feenal win against Ingland his legend wis cementit.

This match wis played wi the backgrund o the Falklands War atween Argentinae an the Unitit Kinrick. Replays showed that the first goal wis scored bi strikin the baw wi his haund. Maradona wis coyly evasive, describin it as "a little wi the heid o Maradona an a little wi the haund o God." It became kent as the "Haund o God". Ultimately, on 22 August 2005 Maradona acknawledgit on his telly show that he haed hit the baw wi his haund purposely, an nae contact wi his heid wis made, an that he immediately ken the goal wis illegitimate. This became kent as a internaitional fiasco in Warld Cup history. The goal stuid, hintle tae the wrath o the Inglis players.

Maradona's seicont goal, juist fower minutes efter the hotly disputit haund-goal, wis later votit bi FIFA as the greatest goal in the history o the World Cup. He receivit the baw in his awn hauf, swivelled aroond, an wi 11 touches ran mair nor hauf the lenth o the field, dribblin past five Inglis ootfield players (Peter Beardsley, Steve Hodge, Peter Reid, Terry Butcher, an Terry Fenwick) an goalkeeper Peter Shilton. This goal wis votit "Goal of the Century" in a 2002 online poll conductit bi FIFA. Maradona later commentit that the goal wad no hae been possible haed it no been for the fairness o the Inglis style o play.

Maradona follaeed this wi twa mair goals in the semi-feenal against Belgium, includin anither virtuoso dribblin display for the seicont goal. In the feenal, the opposin Wast German side attemptit tae conteen him bi dooble-markin, but he nivertheless foond the space tae gie the feenal pass tae Jorge Burruchaga for the winnin goal. Argentina beat Wast Germany 3–2 in front o 115,000 spectators at the Azteca Stadium.

Durin the course o the tournament, Maradona attemptit or creatit mair nor hauf o Argentinae's shots, embarkit on 90 dribbles some three times mair nor ony ither player an wis fouled 53 times winnin his team twice as mony free kicks as ony player. Maradona scored or assistit 10 o Argentinae's 14 goals includin the assist for the winnin goal in the feenal, ensurin that he wad be remembered as ane o the greatest names in fitbaw history.

Bi the end o the tournament, Maradona went on tae winnin the Golden Ball as the best player o the tournament bi unanimous vote an wis widely regardit tae hae wan the World Cup virtually single-haunditly. In a tribute tae him, the Azteca Stadium authorities biggit a statue o him scorin the "goal o the century" an placit it at the entrance o the stadium an aw.

### 1990 Warld Cup

Maradona captained Argentinae again in the 1990 FIFA Warld Cup tae yet anither World Cup Final. An ankle injury affectit his oweraw performance, an he wis hintle less dominant than fower years earlier. Argentinae wur amaist eliminatit in the first roond, anerly qualifyin in third poseetion frae thair group. In the roond o 16 match against Brazil, Claudio Caniggia scored the anerly goal efter bein set up bi Maradona.

In the quairter feenal, Argentinae facit Yugoslavie, the match endin 0–0 efter 120 minutes, an Argentinae advancin on penalty kicks, despite Maradona missin ane o the penalties in the shuitoot wi a waik shot tae the goalkeeper's richt. The semifeenal against the host naition Italy wis resolvit on penalties efter a 1–1 draw an aw; this time, Maradona wis successfu wi his effort, darinly rollin the ball intae the net wi a amaist exact replica o his missed shot in the previous roond. In the feenal, Argentinae lost 1–0 tae Wast Germany, the anerly goal bein a penalty bi Andreas Brehme in the 85t minute efter a controversial foul on Rudi Völler.

### 1994 Warld Cup
At the 1994 FIFA Warld Cup Maradona played in anerly twa gemmes, scorin ane goal against Greece, afore bein sent hame efter failin a drog test for ephedrine dopin. In his autobiografie, Maradona argued that the test result wis due tae his personal trainer giein him the pouer drink Rip Fuel. His claim wis that the U.S. version, unlik the Argentine ane, conteened the chemical an that, haein run oot o his Argentine dosage, his trainer unwittingly bocht the U.S. formula. FIFA expelled him frae USA '94 an Argentinae wur subsequently eliminatit in the seicont roond. Maradona haes separately claimit that he haed an greement wi FIFA an aw, on which the organisation renegit, tae allou him tae uise the drog for wicht loss afore the competeetion in order tae be able tae play. His failed drogs test at the 1994 World Cup signaled the end o his internaitional career, which haed lastit 17 years an yieldit 34 goals frae 91 gemmes.

## Personal life

### Faimily
His parents are Diego Maradona Senior an Dalma Salvadora Franco. His faither is o Italian an Native American oreegin an his mither is o Croatie oreegin.  Maradona marriet lang-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on 7 November 1984 in Buenos Aires, an thay haed twa dochters, Dalma Nerea (born 2 Apryle 1987) an Giannina Dinorah (born 16 Mey 1989), bi whom he became a grandfaither in 2009. In his autobiografie, Maradona admits he wis no aye faithful tae Claudia, even tho he refers tae her as the luve o his life.

Maradona an Villafañe divorcit in 2004. Dochter Dalma haes syne asserted that the divorce wis the best solution for aw, as her parents remained on friendly terms. Thay travelled thegither tae Napoli for a series o homages in Juin 2005 an wur seen thegither on mony ither occasions, includin the Argentinae matches durin 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Durin the divorce proceedins, Maradona admittit he wis the faither o Diego Sinagra (born in Naples on 20 September 1986). The Italian courts haed awready sae ruled in 1993, efter Maradona refused tae unnergo DNA tests for pruivin or dispruivin his paternity. Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in Mey 2003 efter trickin his wey ontae a gowf course in Italy whaur Maradona wis playin. Diego Sinagra is nou a fitbawer playin in Italy. Efter the divorce, Claudia embarkit on a career as a theatre producer, an Dalma wis seekin a actin career; she haed expressed her desire tae attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.

His younger dochter, Giannina, marriet Manchester City striker Sergio Agüero, wi whom she haes a son, Benjamin, born in Madrid on 19 Februar 2009. In Januar 2013, Agüero an Giannina separatit.

His mither, Dalma, dee'd on 19 November 2011. Diego wis in Dubai at the time, an desperately treed tae flee back in time tae see her, but wis too late. She wis 81 year auld. His son Diego Fernando, whom he haed wi his ex lang term pairtner Veronica Ojeda, wis born 13 Februar 2013.

## Career statistics

:*Source*: Club Statistics, at expertfootball.com

### Club

*Ither – League Cup (Spain) an Super Cup (Italy)
*His oweraw average o goals scored per match in domestic club competitions is 0.526.

### Internaitional
*Stairtit in 21 consecutive matches for Argentinae in fower Warld Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
*Appeared 16 times as caiptain o the naitional team, a Warld Cup-record.
*Scored 8 goals an providit 8 assists in 21 Warld Cup appearances, includin 5 goals an 5 assists in 1986
*Tee'd for heichest goal-scr frae Argentinae in Warld Cup feenals (equaled Guillermo Stábile's merk in 1994; surpassed bi Gabriel Batistuta in 1998)
*Wis fouled 23 times in the match Argentinae v Italy in the 1982 Warld Cup, a single-match Warld Cup-record;
*Wis fouled 50 times durin 1990 Warld Cup, a single-tournament Warld-Cup record.

### Manager

## Honours

### Club
 **[[Argentinos Juniors]]**

Runner-up
*Argentine Primera División: 1980 Metropolitano

 **[[Boca Juniors]]**

;Winners
*Argentine Primera División: 1981 Metropolitano

Runner-up
*Argentine Primera División: 1997 Apertura

 **[[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]**

;Winners
*Copa del Rey: 1983
*Copa de la Liga: 1983
*Supercopa de España: 1983

 **[[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]]**

;Winners
*Serie A (2): 1987, 1990
*Coppa Italia: 1987
*UEFA Cup: 1989
*Supercoppa Italiana: 1990

Runner-up
*Serie A (2): 1988, 1989
*Coppa Italia: 1989

### Kintra
** [[Argentinae naitional fitbaw team|Argentinae]]**

;Winners

*FIFA Warld Youth Championship: 1979
*75t anniversar FIFA Cup: 1979
*FIFA Warld Cup: 1986
*Artemio Franchi Trophy: 1993

Runner-up

*Sooth American Youth Championship: 1979
*FIFA Warld Cup: 1990

### Manager

### Club
 **[[Al-Wasl]]**

Runner-up
*Gulf Club Champions League: 2012

### Individual
*Argentine Primera División top scorers (5): 1978 Metropolitano, 1979 Metropolitano, 1979 Nacional, 1980 Metropolitano, 1980 Nacional
*FIFA World Youth Championship Golden Ball: 1979
*FIFA World Youth Championship Siller Shoe: 1979
*World Player of the Year (Guerin Sportivo): 1979 
*Argentine Fitbaa Writers' Fitbawer o the Year (4): 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986
*Sooth American Fotbawer o the Year (2): (offeecial awaird) 1979, 1980
*Olimpia de Oro (2): 1979, 1986
*Guerin d'Oro (Serie A Fitbawer o the Year): 1985
*Onze de Bronze (2): 1985, 1988
*FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1986
*FIFA World Cup Siller Shoe: 1986
*FIFA World Cup Maist Assists: 1986
*FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (2): 1986, 1990
*Onze d'Or (2): 1986, 1987
*Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman o the Year: 1986
*L'Équipe Champion of Champions: 1986
*United Press International Athlete of the Year Award: 1986
*World Soccer Awards Player o the Year: 1986
*Sooth American Player o the Year (4): (unoffeecial awaird) 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992
*Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer): 1987–88
*Coppa Italia top scorer: 1987-88
*FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball: 1990
*Onze d'Or (top player o the year for the Onze Mondial French newspaper): 1994
*FIFA World Cup All-Time Team: 1994
*Golden Ball for services tae fitbaw (France Football): 1996
*World Team of the 20th Century: 1998
*World Soccer The Greatest Players of the 20th century: (#2) 1999
*Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman o the Century: 1999
*Marca Leyenda: 1999
*Number **10** retired bi Napoli fitbaw team as a recognition tae his contreibution tae the club: 2000
*FIFA Player o the Century: 2000
*FIFA Warld Cup Goal o the Century (1986 (2–1) v. Ingland; seicont goal): 2002
*FIFA Warld Cup Dream Team: 2002
*FIFA 100 Greatest Livin Footballers: 2004
*Argentine Senate *"Domingo Faustino Sarmiento"* recognition for lifetime achievement: 2005
*World Soccer *Greatest XI of all time*: 2013
*Napoli aw-time Top Scorer

## References

## Freemit airtins

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