Argentine soccer great, 1986 World Cup champion Maradona dies at 60

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Diego Maradona, the Argentine soccer nice who scored the “Hand of God” objective in 1986 and led his nation to that yr’s World Cup title earlier than later fighting cocaine use and weight problems, has died. He was 60.

Maradona’s spokesman, Sebastián Sanchi, mentioned he died Wednesday of a coronary heart assault, two weeks after being launched from a hospital in Buenos Aires following mind surgical procedure.

The workplace of Argentina’s president mentioned it’ll decree three days of nationwide mourning, and the Argentine soccer affiliation expressed its sorrow on Twitter.

One of the well-known moments within the historical past of the game, the “Hand of God” objective, got here when the diminutive Maradona punched the ball into England’s web throughout the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals. England mentioned the ball went in off of Maradona’s hand, not his head. Maradona himself gave conflicting accounts of what had occurred over time, at one level attributing the objective to divine intervention, to “the hand of God.”

Forward of his sixtieth birthday in October, Maradona informed France Soccer journal that it was his dream to “rating one other objective in opposition to the English, this time with the proper hand.”

Maradona additionally captivated followers all over the world over a two-decade profession with a bewitching fashion of play that was all his personal.

Though his status was tarnished by his addictions and an ill-fated spell answerable for the nationwide staff, he remained idolized in soccer-mad Argentina because the “Pibe de Oro” or “Golden Boy.”

“You took us to the highest of the world,” Argentine President Alfredo Fernández mentioned on social media. “You made us extremely glad. You have been the best of all.”

The No. 10 he wore on his jersey turned synonymous with him, because it additionally had with Pelé, the Brazilian nice with whom Maradona was frequently paired as the most effective of all time.

The Brazilian mentioned in a press release he had misplaced “an expensive buddy.”

“There’s far more to say, however for now could God give his household power,” Pelé mentioned. “Sooner or later, I hope, we are going to play soccer collectively within the sky.”

Daring, quick and totally unpredictable, Maradona was a grasp of assault, juggling the ball simply from one foot to the opposite as he raced upfield.

Dodging and weaving together with his low heart of gravity, he shrugged off numerous rivals and sometimes scored with a devastating left foot, his strongest weapon.

“All the pieces he was pondering in his head, he made it occur together with his toes,” mentioned Salvatore Bagni, who performed with Maradona at Italian membership Napoli.

A ballooning waistline slowed Maradona’s explosive pace later in his profession and by 1991 he was snared in his first doping scandal when he admitted to a cocaine behavior that haunted him till he retired in 1997, at 37.

Hospitalized close to demise in 2000 and once more in ’04 for coronary heart issues blamed on cocaine, he later mentioned he overcame the drug drawback. Cocaine, he as soon as mentioned famously, had confirmed to be his “hardest rival.”

However extra well being issues adopted, regardless of a 2005 gastric bypass that enormously trimmed his weight. Maradona was hospitalized in early 2007 for acute hepatitis that his physician blamed on extreme consuming and consuming.

He made an unlikely return to the nationwide staff in 2008 when he was appointed Argentina coach, however after a quarterfinal exit on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he was ousted — finally choosing up one other teaching job with the United Arab Emirates membership Al Wasl.

Maradona was the fifth of eight youngsters who grew up in a poor, gritty barrio on the Buenos Aires outskirts the place he performed a form of dirt-patch soccer that launched many Argentines to worldwide stardom.

None of them approached Maradona’s fame. In 2001, FIFA named Maradona one of many two best within the sport’s historical past, alongside Pelé.

“Maradona evokes us,” mentioned then-Argentina striker Carlos Tevez, explaining his nation’s everyman fascination with Maradona on the 2006 World Cup in Germany. “He’s our idol, and an idol for the folks.”

Maradona reaped titles at house and overseas, taking part in within the early Nineteen Eighties for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors earlier than transferring on to Spanish and Italian golf equipment.

His crowning achievement got here on the 1986 World Cup, captaining Argentina in its 3-2 win over West Germany within the closing and decisive in a 2-1 victory in opposition to England in a feisty quarterfinal match.

Over the protests of England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, the referee let stand a objective by Maradona wherein, as he admitted years later, he deliberately hit the ball together with his hand in “a little bit of mischief.”

However Maradona’s influence wouldn’t be confined to dishonest. 4 minutes later, he spectacularly weaved previous 4 opponents from midfield to beat Shilton for what FIFA later declared the best objective in World Cup historical past.

Many Argentines noticed the match as revenge for his or her nation’s loss to Britain within the 1982 battle over the Falkland Islands, which Argentines nonetheless declare as “Las Malvinas.”

“It was our method of recovering ‘Las Malvinas,’” Maradona wrote in his 2000 autobiography “I’m Diego.”

“It was greater than attempting to win a sport. We mentioned the sport had nothing to do with the battle. However we knew that Argentines had died there, that they’d killed them like birds. And this was our revenge. It was one thing greater than us: We have been defending our flag.”

It additionally was vindication for Maradona, who in what he later referred to as “the best tragedy” of his profession was lower from the squad of the 1978 World Cup — which Argentina gained at house — as a result of he was solely 17.

Maradona mentioned he was given a soccer ball quickly after he might run.

“I used to be 3 years previous and I slept hugging that ball all night time,” he mentioned.

At 10, Maradona gained fame by acting at halftime {of professional} matches, wowing crowds by holding the ball airborne for minutes together with his toes, chest and head. He additionally made his taking part in debut with the Argentinos Juniors youth staff, main a squad of principally 14-year-olds via 136 unbeaten matches.

“To see him play was pure bliss, true stardom,” teammate Carlos Beltran mentioned.

Maradona performed from 1976-81 for first division membership Argentinos Juniors, then went to Boca Juniors for a yr earlier than heading to Barcelona for a world-record $8 million.

In 1984, Barcelona bought him to Napoli, in Italy. He remade its fortunes nearly single-handedly, taking it to the 1987 Italian league championship for its first title in 60 years.

A yr after shedding the 1990 World Cup closing to West Germany, Maradona moved to Spanish membership Sevilla, however his profession was on the decline. He performed 5 matches at Argentine membership Newell’s Outdated Boys in 1994 earlier than returning to Boca from 1995-97 — his closing membership and closest to his coronary heart.

Drug issues overshadowed his closing taking part in years.

Maradona failed a doping take a look at in 1991 and was banned for 15 months, acknowledging his longtime cocaine habit. He failed one other doping take a look at for stimulants and was thrown out of the 1994 World Cup in america.

In retirement, Maradona frequented Boca matches as a raucous one-man cheering part and took half in worldwide charity, sporting and exhibition occasions. However the already stocky ahead shortly gained weight and was clearly wanting breath as he huffed via pleasant matches.

In 2000, in what medical doctors mentioned was a brush with demise, he was hospitalized within the Uruguayan resort of Punta del Este with a coronary heart that medical doctors mentioned was pumping at lower than half its capability. Blood and urine samples turned up traces of cocaine.

After one other emergency hospitalization in 2004, Maradona was endorsed for drug abuse and in September of that yr traveled to Cuba for therapy at Havana’s Middle for Psychological Well being. There he was visited by his buddy, Cuban President Fidel Castro.

In Cuba, Maradona took to taking part in golf and smoking cigars. He regularly praised Castro and Argentine-born revolutionary “Che” Guevara, who fought with Castro within the Cuban revolution — even sporting a tattoo of Guevara on his proper arm.

Maradona mentioned he acquired clear from medication there and began a brand new chapter.

In 2005, he underwent gastric bypass in Colombia, shedding almost 50 kilograms (greater than 100 kilos) earlier than showing as host of a wildly well-liked Argentine tv speak present. On “10’s Evening,” Maradona headed round a ball with Pelé, interviewed boxer Mike Tyson and Hollywood celebrities, and taped a prolonged dialog with Castro in Cuba.

In retirement, Maradona additionally turned extra outspoken. He sniped regularly at former coaches, gamers — together with Pelé — and the pope. He joined a left-wing protest practice outdoors the Summit of the Americas in 2005, standing alongside Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to denounce the presence of then-President George W. Bush.

His outsider standing made it all of the extra stunning when he was chosen as Argentina coach following Alfio Basile’s resignation.

He gained his first three matches however his ways, choice and a spotlight to element have been all questioned after a 6-1 loss to Bolivia in World Cup qualifying equaled Argentina’s worst-ever margin of defeat.

Victor Hugo Morales, Argentina’s hottest soccer broadcaster, mentioned Maradona will finally be remembered for an exciting fashion of play that has by no means been duplicated.

“He has been one of many nice artists of my time. Like nice masters of music and portray, he has defied our mind and enriched the human spirit,” Morales mentioned. “No person has thrilled me extra and left me in such awe as Diego.”