Footballer Nicknames - PelÃ©, Pibe de Oro, Gazza, Becks, Zizou: A Century of Diminutives | Sportslens Hugo Steckelmacher 18 April, 2008 Best of SL , Lists , Managers Don’t call me Hugo any more. I’m English, don’t you know? So you have to change my name. At school, P.E. teachers insisted on branding me “Steckel”, although I suppose I should just be grateful I escaped that awful nom de plume that is the quintessentially British “Macca”. It’s 10:30pm, and a day both frustrating and unproductive has truckled obeisantly past. I’ve seen the interview with “La Radio” yabbering on about “Berba/The Assassin” and “Keano”. “Curbs” is frustrated — who wouldn’t be? “Stevie G” and “El niño” just won’t stop scoring, and “the Pope” feels a little more secure on his Anfield throne. They once had a cocaine-snorting “God” in Liverpool, you know? They say anything’s possible up north.

As you will have made out from my opening paragraph, this post is going to be about NICKNAMES , and I must extend a note of thanks to my father, who was responsible for informing me about Fitz Hall’s ingenious moniker “One size”, and to Hall himself for inspiring this article. A shout out also to former Everton player Neil “Dissa” Pointin and QPR ’s on-loan Chelsea midfielder Michael “Haunted” Mancienne. I must admit, foreign influence in the Premier League is welcome in my eyes if only because it makes us rethink our sobriquets. The standard Anglican procedure, that of affixing the ‘a’ or ‘y’ sound onto any name whatsoever, nominally the surname — “yes, I thought Stubbsy was mammoth at the back today” — is problematized somewhat by these delicious foreign syllables. Oh, the torments of David Moyes and Alan Curbishley, who are two of the worst culprits.

For every “Sheva” and “Berba” that we manage to conjure up (the Bulgarian is also known as “The Assassin”), there is an “Ole Gunnar Solskjaer”, the “Baby-faced Assassin” whose surnames resist all butchering. Although I dread to think what would’ve happened had he ended up at Arsenal, where some awful Gunnar/Gunner foreplay would surely have emerged. And in truth, we have a lot to learn about nicknaming, us Brits. Where is the imagination? In the World Cup of nicknames, we are destined invariably to be knocked out on penalties. “Wazza” against “The Beast”? “Becks” versus “The Little Witch”? (“Little Witch” i.e. “La Brujita” in Spanish is the name given to Juan Sebastián Verón — whom us Englanders branded simply “Seba”: it is the diminutive form of “La Bruja”, Verón’s father’s nickname back at Estudiantes). For G-d’s sake, as well as playing the best football at the 2006 World Cup, Argentina had by far and away the best set of sobriquets.

Admit it, as a defender you’d cower at the sight of “La pulga atómica”, “El Apache” and either one of “Valdanito” or “El Jardinero” lining up as a united front. It makes me laugh to think of the nomenclatural crisis that would be sparked in Alan Curbishley’s brain when presented with a name like “Messi”. “But it already ends in the “y” sound.” his phrenic cavity would grumble, with furrowed brow, before spitting out the only other sound we seem to know, and “Mezza” he would be forever. Look what’s happened to Rooney. And I much preferred “Roonaldo” to “Wazza”. And that’s why Mr Hall’s hilarious handle had me in raptures. We can do it, I thought. So I’ve decided to set up a sort of project, if you will. Next time you see a manager refer with desperation to his charge as “Giggsy”, screw up your face, defrost those neurons, and think of something better. Then swing by and let us know what you’ve thought of.

And while you’re here, have a vote for your favourite nickname — I’ve provided a long, but no means complete, list below, grouped into countries and continents for ease of browsing and comparison. You could also tell us which country has the best nicknames. Incidentally, if you’re stuck for inspiration, you could always wham your surname into the Brazilian Nickname Generator and give your alias an aromatic, exotic touch. Now that’s a baptism of fire. . Fernando Gago = Pintita, Doctor Gago, Gagoterapia (Gagotherapy) González HiguaÃ­n = Pipita Diego Maradona = El Pibe de Oro Lionel Messi = La Pulga [Atómica] (Atomic Flea), Messiah Martin Palermo = El loco (the madman) Daniel Passarella = El Guerrero (‘The Warrior’), El Kaiser Ariel Ortega = Burrito (the Little Donkey) Fernando Redondo = Prince Maxi RodrÃ­guez = La Fiera (The Fierce One/The Shrew) Javier Saviola – El Conejo (the Rabbit), El Pibito, Tambor .

Brazil (this list is virtually endless, so I have just provided my favourites/the most famous ones. It is also worth noting that the vast majority of Brazilian players as they are known to us are actually playing under pseudonyms, abbreviations rather than nicknames) Adriano = O Imperador (the Emperor), The Horse Alex (Chelsea) = The Tank Edmundo = O Animal (the Animal) Emerson = El Puma, El señor Manoel dos Santos = Garrincha (the type of bird dos Santos hunted as a child) Gilberto da Silva = The Invisible Wall Julio Baptista = The Beast Edson Arantes do Nascimento = Pelé, O Rei (The King) Roberto Carlos = Thunder Thighs, Dinamite Robinho = Robishow, O Principe Ronaldinho = Dinho, Ronnie, The One Man Show Ronaldo = O FenÃ´meno (the Phenomenon), Ronie (with one N) . Jean-Alain Boumsong = Un, deux, trois … BOUMSONG!

Marcel Desailly = The Rock Ludovic Giuly = Ludo, The Magic Imp Yohan Gourcuff = Petit Zizou Thierry Henry = Titi, TH14, Va Va Voom Philippe Mexès = Philou, Le Laurent Blond Franck Ribéry = The Magician, Scarface MickaÃ«l Silvestre = Mickey So-Fine, Tweety, 50p head Lilian Thuram = The Philosopher Patrick Vieira = Paddy, Tentacule, La Pieuvre (The Octopus) Zinedine Zidane = Zizou Dennis Bergkamp = The non-flying Dutchman, Dennis the Menace, Beavis, Bergy Ruud Gullit = Il Tulipo Nero (The black tulip) Arjen Robben and Mateja Kezman (Serbian) = together, Batman and Robben Roy Makaay = the Phantom Clarence Seedorf = Opa (Grandfather) Marco Van Basten = The Swan of Utrecht Ruud Van Nistelrooy = Van the Man, Ruud Boy!, The Flying Dutchman, RVN, La Locomotora, Van Gol, Van Nisterror, The Ruud Devil,

 Van The Crack, Trivilin, Guffy Robin Van Persie = RVP Boudewijn Zenden = Bolo, The Rocket .

Roberto Baggio = Roby, Divin Codino (Divine Ponytail) Gianluigi Buffon = Gigi, Super Gigi Mauro Camoranesi = Camo Fabio Cannavaro = Il muro di Berlino (The Berlin wall), Il Capitano, El Bus Humano (The Human Bus), Cannavoro, Il Bello, Il Duce Antonio Cassano = Peter Pan, Fantantonio, El Pibe de Bari, Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia (the jewel of Old Bari), Talento di Bari Vecchia, Talentino. Cassano is also the subject of the Italian neologism “Cassanata”, a word invented by Fabio Capello to refer to behaviour against the current of team spirit.

Alessandro Del Piero = Ale, Pinturicchio Gennaro Gattuso = Rino, Ringhio, Braveheart, Pittbull, The Snarling Dog Alberto Gilardino = Gila Filippo Inzaghi = Super Pippo, Inzagol, Alta Tensione Attilio Lombardo = The Bald Eagle Massimo Maccarone = Big Mac Paolo Maldini = Il Capitano, San Paolo Marco Materazzi = Matrix, Macellazzi Vincenzo Montella = L’aeroplanino (the little airplane) Alessandro Nesta = Sandro Gianluca Pessotto = Il Professore (the Professor), Pessottino Fabrizio Ravanelli = Penna Bianca (white feather) Salvatore Schillaci = TotÃ² (given to all Italians named Salvatore) Luca Toni = Tonigol, Bomber Francesco Totti = Il Capitano, Er Pupone, Gladiatore, Il Bimbo d’Oro, Il Principe Christian Vieri = Bobo, Bobone, Bobogol Dino Zoff = Dino Nazionale, The Spider, Il Monumento Gianfranco Zola = The Italian

 Maradona, Marazola, Tamburino Sardo .

LuÃ­s Boa Morte = Good Death, Boa Constrictor Francisco José da Costa = Costinha Deco (itself a nickname, as in Art Deco) = Mágico Nuno Ricardo Oliveira Ribeiro = Maniche Ricardo Pereira = Mãozinhas (Little Hands) Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes = Pauleta, L’Aigle des Açores (the Eagle from the Azores) Tiago Cardoso Mendes = Tiago Emilio Butragueño = El Buitre (The Vulture) Iker Casillas = El galáctico de Móstoles, San Iker Andoni Goikoetxea = El Carnicero de Bilbao (‘The Butcher of Bilbao’) Luis Enrique Martinez = Lucho Fernando Morientes = El Moro (the Moor) Carles Puyol = Lionheart, Tarzan, CapitÃ , Capitán,Puyi, Corazón de León, Greñol el Puyol, Superman González Blanco Raúl = El Niño Raúl Sergio Ramos = El Comanche, Carapony, El Tarzán de Camas, Rambo, Lobo (Wolf) Michel Sal

gado = Il Due (el dos), MÃ­chel, la Abuela (the Grandmother), Malulo, La Cabra Loca (Mad goat) Roberto Soldado = Gudari Fernando Torres = El Niño, Nando David Villa = El Guaje (similar to El Pibe) .

Gheorghe Hagi = The Maradona of the Carpathians, Baciul (The Sheperd), The Black Sea Bomber Thomas Gravesen = Shrek Vladimir Jugovic = Mezzasquadra (Half the squad), Vinci Tutto (Conquers all) Jan Koller = The Tall One Oleg Luzhny = The Horse Pavel Nedved = Duracell, Crazy Peleloid, MedvÄ›d or Meda (Czech for “bear” or “teddy=bear”), The Czech Cannon, Furia Ceca (at Lazio & Juventus) Robert Prosinecki = The Big Yellow One (Veliki Å¾uti) Ferenc Puskás = The Galloping Major, Cañoncito Pum (‘The Booming Cannon’).

Hasan Salihamidzic = Little Brother, Brazzo (at Juventus) Philippe Senderos = Swiss Tony [Adams], Big Phil Andriy Shevchenko = Sheva, Shevagol, The Eastern Wind, Wind of Passion Hristo Stoichkov = the Pitbull Hakan Sükür = the Bull of Bosphorus Nemanja Vidic = Hench, The Serbian Ninja Lev Yashin = The Black Spider . Messi: The Inside Story of the Boy Who Became a Legend - Luca Caioli - Google Books Messi: The Inside Story of the Boy Who Became a Legend 7 Reviews El Pibe de Oro. The Golden Boy. Diego Maradona’s unwaning shadow looms large over world football. In 2007 the brilliant Argentine chose Lionel Messi as his successor to the famous No. 10 shirt. But you can never be sure that potential will be fulfilled. Three years later, Messi – El Pulga, the Flea – is a European Champion, Olympic Gold Medallist, the most naturally gifted footballer on the planet and a hero to millions of fans across the globe.

Champions, reporters and coaches blunder time and time again in their haste to find superstars. This time they got it right. Aged only 22, he shows a degree of maturity rarely seen on the soccer pitch. Yet underneath the layers of footballing brilliance, he is still the shy boy who describes his Maradona moment with disarming simplicity: ‘I saw the gap and I went for it.’ Transcending both club and country, he is a sporting god who prefers homemade cookies to brand name perfumes. Author Luca Caioli draws on exceptional testimonies. Messi’s parents, Celia and Jorge, his bother Rodrigo and his uncles and aunts; his coaches at Grandoli and Newell’s Old Boys; Charly Rexach, Alex Garc�a, Frank Rjikaard, Gianluca Zambrotta from Barcelona; Hugo Tocalli, Pancho Ferrero, el Coco Basile, Roberto Perfumo from Argentina. And to conclude, Leo Messi himself sizes up his life so far.

Across the pond 17 September 2000 Latigazo Conversation with Fernando Chiche Niembro Fox TV commentator Provisional licence 6 March 2001 Puyols mask Conversation with �lex Garc�a 13 Debut 16 November 2003 Homegrown Conversation with Cristina Cubero Mundo Deportivo Sports World journalist Videotape 29 June 2004 The football is his toy Conversation with Francisco Pancho Ferraro A friend Conversation with Pablo Zabaleta Soap opera 3 October 2005 A breath of fresh air Conversation with Fernando Solanas Head of Sports Marketing at Adidas Iberia Boy of the match 22 February 2006 You have to prove it Conversation with Carlos Salvador Bilardo Disappointment 15 July 2007 An electric kid Conversation with Alfio El Coco Basile Bronze and silver 17 December 2007 Physical thinking Conversation with Roberto Perfumo El Mariscal The long journey towards gold 22 May 2008 Happiness 27 May 2009 Third time lucky 1 19 and 21 December 2009 Barcelona Present Diego Armando Maradona Franco –

 IFFHS BETA 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) Playing Position Attacking midfielder - Second striker Diego Armando Maradona Franco (Spanish pronunciation, born 30 October 1960) is an Argentine former footballer.

He has served as a manager and coach at other clubs as well as for the national team of Argentina. Many experts, football critics, former players, current players and football fans regard Maradona as the greatest football player of all time. He was joint FIFA Player of the 20th Century with Pelé. A playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position, Maradona is the only player in football history to set the world record transfer fee twice, first when he transferred to Barcelona for a then world record £5m, and second, when he transferred to Napoli for another record fee £6.9m. He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell’s Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli where he won numerous accolades. In his international career with Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals.

Maradona’s exceptional vision, passing, ball control, dribbling skills, speed, reflexes and thinking time was combined with his small size (he was 5’5″, or 1.65m) giving him a low center of gravity which allowed him to be more maneuverable than most other football players; he would often dribble past multiple opposing players on a run. His presence on the pitch would have a great effect on his team’s general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname “El Pibe de Oro” (“The Golden Boy”), a name that stuck with him throughout his career. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. In the 1986 World Cup quarter final, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history for two different reasons.

The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the “Hand of God”, while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted “The Goal of the Century” by FIFA.com voters in 2002. Maradona is considered one of the sport’s most controversial and newsworthy figures. He was suspended from football for 15 months in 1991 after failing a drug test, for cocaine, in Italy, and he was sent home from the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. after testing positive for ephedrine. In 2005, he lost a considerable amount of extra weight and overcame his cocaine addiction. Known for his street smart, anti-establishment persona, his outspoken views have sometimes put him in conflict with journalists and sport executives. Although he had little managerial experience, he became head coach of the Argentina national team in November 2008, and held the job for eighteen months, until his contract expired after the 2010 World Cup. He coached Dubai-based club Al Wasl in the UAE Pro-League for the 2011–12 season.

In August 2013, Maradona joined Argentine Primera D club Deportivo Riestra’s staff as “spiritual coach”. Breaking news on Diego Maradona - breakingnews.com Diego Armando Maradona ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo maɾaˈðona], born 30 October 1960) is an Argentine retired professional footballer. He has served as a manager and coach at other clubs as well as the national team of Argentina. Many in the sport, including football writers, players, and fans, regard Maradona as the greatest football player of all time. He was joint FIFA Player of the 20th Century with Pelé. An advanced playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position, Maradona is the first player in football history to set the world record transfer fee twice, first when he transferred to Barcelona for a then world record £5 million, and second, when he transferred to Napoli for another record fee £6.9 million.

He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli, where he won numerous accolades. In his international career with Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. Maradona's exceptional vision, passing, ball control, dribbling skills, speed, reflexes and reaction time was combined with his small size (1.65 m or 5 ft 5 in tall) giving him a low center of gravity which allowed him to be more maneuverable than most other football players; he would often dribble past multiple opposing players on a run. His presence on the pitch had a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname "El Pibe de Oro" ("The Golden Boy"), a name that stuck with him throughout his career. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

In the 1986 World Cup quarter final, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history for two different reasons. The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted "The Goal of the Century" by FIFA.com voters in 2002. Maradona became coach of Argentina in November 2008. He was in charge of the team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa before leaving at the end of the tournament. He coached Dubai-based club Al Wasl in the UAE Pro-League for the 2011–12 season. In August 2013, Maradona joined Argentine Primera D club Deportivo Riestra's staff as "spiritual coach". Links Diego Maradona TOP 30 Crazy Skills Moves Ever Simple Mike Reaction - YouTube Diego Maradona TOP 30 Crazy Skills Moves Ever Simple Mike Reaction Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video?

Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Feb 24, 2016 Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine professional footballer. He has served as a manager and coach at other clubs as well as the national team of Argentina. Many in the sport, including football writers, former players, current players and football fans, regard Maradona as the greatest football player of all time. He was joint FIFA Player of the 20th Century with Pelé. An advanced playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position, Maradona is the only player in football history to set the world record transfer fee twice, first when he transferred to Barcelona for a then world record 5 million, and second, when he transferred to Napoli for another record fee 6.9 million. He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli where he won numerous accolades.

In his international career with Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. Maradona's exceptional vision, passing, ball control, dribbling skills, speed, reflexes and thinking time was combined with his small size he was 5'5", or 1.65m giving him a low center of gravity which allowed him to be more maneuverable than most other football players; he would often dribble past multiple opposing players on a run. His presence on the pitch had a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname "El Pibe de Oro" "The Golden Boy", a name that stuck with him throughout his career. About Me | Diego Maradona Official - Welcome to Diego Armando Maradona's Official Website Stats Welcome to Diego Armando Maradona official website Diego Armando Maradona Franco, born 30 October 1960 in Buenos Aires, is an Argentine former footballer. He has served as a manager and coach at other clubs as well as for the national team of Argentina.

Many experts, football critics, former players, current players and football fans regard Maradona as the greatest football player of all time. He was joint FIFA Player of the 20th Century with Pelé. At the age of 10, Maradona joined “Los Cebollitas”, the youth team of Argentinos Juniors and he started to show his prodigious ability, he led his team to an awesome 136 unbeaten streak games. At the unusual age of 15, he made his professional debut with Argentinos Juniors during a match against Talleres de Córdoba. With Argentinos he was 5 times in a row top scorer into the Argentina first division tournaments (Metropolitano and Nacional) between 1978 and 1980. In 1977 at the age of 16 he made his international debut with Argentina National Team during a match against Hungary and he scored his first international goal two years later, against Scotland at Hampden Park. In 1979, he led the Argentina Under-20 team to win the World Cup played in Japan, he got the Golden Ball as best player of the tournament.

In 1981, Maradona was transferred to Boca Juniors and achieved the Metropolitano championship in his first year with the club. In 1982, Maradona was transferred to FC Barcelona and he won Spanish League Cup and Copa del Rey before left the team to be transferred to SS Napoli from Italy in 1984, In this club Maradona got his biggest success achieving several tournaments for first time into this club’s history. A playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position, Maradona is the only player in football history to set the world record transfer fee twice, first when he transferred to Barcelona for a then world record £5m, and second, when he transferred to Napoli for another record fee £6.9m. He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli where he won numerous accolades. In his international career with Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals.

Maradona's exceptional vision, passing, ball control, dribbling skills, speed, reflexes and thinking time was combined with his small size (he was 5'5", or 1.65m) giving him a low center of gravity which allowed him to be more maneuverable than most other football players; he would often dribble past multiple opposing players on a run. His presence on the pitch would have a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname "El Pibe de Oro" ("The Golden Boy"), a name that stuck with him throughout his career. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In the 1986 World Cup quarter final, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history for two different reasons.

The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted "The Goal of the Century" by FIFA.com voters in 2002. Maradona coached two clubs in Argentina, Deportivo Mandiyu and Racing Club, as well UAE club Al Wasl. In 2008, he was appointed as the head coach of the Argentina National Team until 2010 World Cup. 1960 Diego Maradona "The Golden Boy" ● Best Moments Ever [HQ] - YouTube Diego Maradona "The Golden Boy" ● Best Moments Ever [HQ] Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Apr 7, 2015 Best Diego Maradona's Skills and Goals Ever.

Suscribe for more football videos and follow us on Twitter: :) Diego Armando Maradona Franco (born 30 October 1960) is an Argentine former footballer. He has served as a manager and coach at other clubs as well as for the national team of Argentina. Many experts, football critics, former players, current players and football fans regard Maradona as the greatest football player of all time. He was joint FIFA Player of the 20th Century with Pelé. A playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position, Maradona is the only player in football history to set the world record transfer fee twice, first when he transferred to Barcelona for a then world record £5m, and second, when he transferred to Napoli for another record fee £6.9m. He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli where he won numerous accolades. In his international career with Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals.

Maradona's exceptional vision, passing, ball control, dribbling skills, speed, reflexes and thinking time was combined with his small size (he was 5'5", or 1.65m) giving him a low center of gravity which allowed him to be more maneuverable than most other football players; he would often dribble past multiple opposing players on a run. His presence on the pitch would have a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname "El Pibe de Oro" ("The Golden Boy"), a name that stuck with him throughout his career. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In the 1986 World Cup quarter final, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history for two different reasons.

The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted "The Goal of the Century" by FIFA.com voters in 2002. Maradona is considered one of the sport's most controversial and newsworthy figures. He was suspended from football for 15 months in 1991 after failing a drug test, for cocaine, in Italy, and he was sent home from the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. after testing positive for ephedrine. In 2005, he lost a considerable amount of extra weight and overcame his cocaine addiction. Known for his street smart, anti-establishment persona, his outspoken views have sometimes put him in conflict with journalists and sport executives. Although he had little managerial experience, he became head coach of the Argentina national team in November 2008, and held the job for eighteen months, until his contract expired after the 2010 World Cup. He coached Dubai-based club Al Wasl in the UAE Pro-League for the 2011–12 season.

In August 2013, Maradona joined Argentine Primera D club Deportivo Riestra's staff as "spiritual coach". ---------------------------- COPYRIGHT NOTE: All content used in this video is strictly for research/reviewing purposes and to help educate. All under the Fair Use law: "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." Category The Meaning of "Pibe" Posted On September 8, 2011 By Transpanish In Languages , Lunfardo , Spanish Language / In Lunfardo , the word “pibe” means kid or boy. While the word is unique to the Rioplatense dialect, experts in Lunfardo disagree on its origins.

Some say that “pibe” is derived from the word “pive” of the Genoese dialect of Italian, meaning “errand boy” or “apprentice.” Another possible candidate for the forerunner of “pibe” is pivello or pivèll, of the dialect of Lombardy, meaning “youth” or, again, “apprentice.” An alternative theory—one that feels like more of a stretch—posits that the origin of “pibe” lies in the word “pebete,” a term meaning incense, which arose from Catalan. The thought is that “pebete” came to refer to a boy or kid in an ironic sense, given that active young boys/adolescents are prone to some unattractive odors—the complete opposite of the pleasant smell of incense. Related words in Lunfardo: piba (girl) Usage examples: Diego Maradona, one of Argentina’s greatest soccer players, was nicknamed “El Pibe de Oro” or “The Golden Boy.” The word “pibe” appears in the lyrics of the 1945 tango “El sueño del pibe” by Juan Puey and Reinaldo Yiso.

El sueño del pibe Golpearon la puerta de la humilde casa, la voz del cartero muy clara se oyó, y el pibe corriendo con todas sus ansias al perrito blanco sin querer pisó. “Mamita, mamita”, se acercó gritando; la madre extrañada dejó el piletón y el pibe le dijo riendo y llorando: “El club me ha mandado hoy la citación”. Messi by Luca Caioli · OverDrive: eBooks, audiobooks and videos for libraries Sports & Recreations Nonfiction El Pibe de Oro. The Golden Boy. Diego Maradona's unwaning shadow looms large over world football. In 2007 the brilliant Argentine chose Lionel Messi as his successor to the famous No. 10 shirt. But you can never be sure that potential will be fulfilled. Three years later, Messi – El Pulga, the Flea – is a European Champion, Olympic Gold Medallist, the most naturally gifted footballer on the planet and a hero to millions of fans across the globe.

Champions, reporters and coaches blunder time and time again in their haste to find superstars. This time they got it right.Aged only 22, he shows a degree of maturity rarely seen on the soccer pitch. Yet underneath the layers of footballing brilliance, he is still the shy boy who describes his Maradona moment with disarming simplicity: 'I saw the gap and I went for it.' Transcending both club and country, he is a sporting god who prefers homemade cookies to brand name perfumes.Author Luca Caioli draws on exceptional testimonies. Messi's parents, Celia and Jorge, his bother Rodrigo and his uncles and aunts; his coaches at Grandoli and Newell's Old Boys; Charly Rexach, Alex García, Frank Rjikaard, Gianluca Zambrotta from Barcelona; Hugo Tocalli, Pancho Ferrero, el Coco Basile, Roberto Perfumo from Argentina. And to conclude, Leo Messi himself sizes up his life so far. What’s In An Argentine Nickname? | Fusion What’s In An Argentine Nickname?

By Daiana Halac Meet the flea, the rabbit, the noodle, and the beast Nicknames are part of every culture, especially in sports, but the world of Argentine soccer has takes it to new and hilarious extremes. They can be very particular and original and derive from physical appearances, personalities, or a player’s style. Many of Argentina’s greatest players seem to have gotten their nicknames from wildlife. Let’s start with—who else?—Lionel “La Pulga” Messi. “ La Pulga” (the flea) was given to him due to the growth deficiency he suffered as a child. His legs were so short that his feet wouldn’t touch the ground when he sat on the bench (a spot, granted, that he’s been unfamiliar with for the last decade or so). Ariel Ortega, River Plate legend, talented dribbler, and infamously temperamental player was given the name “El Burrito” (the little donkey), the origin of which is unclear. Some say he inherited it from his father who was called “Burro,” while others think it’s because he has, um, certain attributes.

Javier Saviola, who once played for both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, was given the name “El Conejo” (the rabbit) by another animal, Germán “El Mono” (the monkey) Burgos, a former teammate of Saviola’s who found him so fast that sometimes Burgos couldn’t see him coming. Claudio Caniggia, who once played for both River Plate and Boca Juniors, became a hero when he scored in the round of 16 at the 1990 World Cup taking out our archrivals Brazil. His nickname was “El Pájaro” (the bird) because he ran so fast it appeared he was flying Not all Argentine player’s nicknames come from the zoo, though. Of the current players, Gonzalo Higuaín is known as “Pipita,” after his father “Pipa” for his big nose; Ángel Di Maria is called “Fideo” (noodle) for his skinny physique; Maxi Rodríguez is “La Fiera” (the beast); and Sergio Romero is “Chiquito” (tiny) even though he isn’t so little anymore .

(Think Tiny Archibald .) Many believe that Javier Mascherano is the reason for team’s success at this World Cup. The Argentine sports newspaper Olé granted him the nickname “El Jefecito” (the little chief) after legendary River Plate man Leonardo Astrada who was “El Jefe.” One player who has had a hard time staying on the pitch is Sergio Agüero. Known as “El Kun,” Agüero got his nickname from a mischievous Japanese cartoon character named “Kum Kum,” who Agüero enjoyed watching as a child. The current coach Alejandro Sabella is actually known in as “Pachorra” (lazy) for his slow demeanor. Then there are past greats. Javier Zanetti’s Argentine nickname is “Pupi,” but his nicknames in Italy, a country where he is considered a role model and icon for all of his seasons at Inter Milan, are “El Tractor” (the tractor) and “Il Capitano” (the captain). Gabriel Batistuta was “ Batigol ” for the slew of goals he scored in the Italy.

(He is still the 11th top goalscorer in Serie A history.) “El Cholo” was given to Diego Simeone, now the coach of Atletico Madrid, as a young player because his tenacity reminded his youth coach of a former Boca Juniors player Carmelo “Cholo” Simeone (no relation). When Mario Kempes , 1978’s World Cup Golden Boot winner, went to play for Valencia, the Spaniards called him “El Matador” for his ability to finish off his rivals. Jorge Valdano’s crossover from football into the cultural world made him “El Filosofo.” Alfredo Di Stéfano, one of the most impactful players of all time , got his nickname from his incredible speed and blonde locks. The one and only Diego Maradona has been called many, many things over the decades: “Pelusa” (fluff), due to his long curly hair; “Barrilete Cósmico” (cosmic kite) ; “El Diez” (ten, for his number); “El Pibe de Oro” (the golden boy); and “Dios” (God).

But if Leo Messi wins the World Cup, which will be Argentina’s first since 1986, he may well share that last one with his fellow number 10. Story Tags

Question: Which footballer was given the name 'El Pibe de Oro' (The Golden Boy)?
Answer: Diego Maradona