RIP Maradona, #10
This morning, Argentine newspaper El Clarin shared the sad news that Maradona had died.
Diego Armando Maradona murió este miércoles tras sufrir un paro cardiorrespiratorio en el barrio San Andrés, en el partido bonaerense de Tigre, donde se había instalado días atrás luego de la operación en la cabeza a la que fue sometido por un hematoma subdural. El 30 de octubre había cumplido 60 años.
It is difficult to grasp the influence Maradona had in this world. He loved the fame and to be infamous. Everybody knew of him, in good and in bad times. On the pitch, on the side lines, with Fidel, or with both middle fingers in the air.
When Kobe died in a helicopter accident, mostly the US mourned. It is different with Maradona. All over the world, people mourn Maradona. People are in the streets of Buenos Aires (obviously), as well as in Napoli.
A truly heartfelt tribute to Diego Maradona. Well said, @kate_abdo. pic.twitter.com/rc1gQtAKjH
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 25, 2020
In the Belgian newspapers they refer to him as Pluisje (La Pelusa), although I never heard of him by that name. To me, he was and always will be Maradona. The hand of god. The goal of the century.
I was still young when he dominated with Argentina and Napoli. I also remember his first defeat against the Red Devils in the opening game of the World Cup in Spain. Yet, I somehow blocked out Maradona’s revenge in the half final in Mexico. (The Belgian Red Devils were already on cloud nine, playing the half-final of a World Cup.)
Throughout the years, Maradona never went away. He kept popping up in the news. There are his multiple visits to Cuba, and with Fidel. His daughter, Dalma, lived across the street of a cousin in law in Buenos Aires. There was the reunion with Pele during his television show, La Noche de Diez. He was the Argentine coach in the World Cup in South Africa. Maradona was even the protagonist on a T-shirt my son received from his cousins in Argentina. It was a drawing of the following picture of Maradona against many Red Devils.
We all watched the recent documentary about Maradona on HBO. What Babe Ruth is to baseball (I guess), or Michael Jordan to basketball, Maradona has been to soccer.
When I think of Maradona, I think of three things: (1) the hand of god, (2) genio!, genio!, genio! and (3) life is life.
https://twitter.com/VitaliosM/status/1331870846156206081
https://twitter.com/NicolaiLisberg/status/1331859464413204480
https://twitter.com/robbiestatto/status/1331657814847201280