Diego Maradona RIP

[Grey Fox]

After doing more research last night to learn more about Diego, I kept thinking, “how would people react to him today?” In his time he was a legend, looking back people see him as a legend.

But take all his issues (cheating on his spouse, drugs, lying to the public, shooting an air rifle at reporters, not claiming a son for 29 years...) would people today say “oh he’s just flawed”? Or would the reaction and feelings towards him be different?

Nobody is perfect as we all know. But I find it amazing how many people just brush off his horrible off the field like as “just flawed” or “he had a hard life growing up “ while these same people attack today’s stars for doing way less off the field.

Totally agree, extremely talented, but a shit human being, a cheat, a drug addict and a bully. I fully understand the out pouring in Argentina, but some of the vomit reducing comments from the media is really unwarranted and misplaced

 

[popstar7]

Totally agree, extremely talented, but a shit human being, a cheat, a drug addict and a bully. I fully understand the out pouring in Argentina, but some of the vomit reducing comments from the media is really unwarranted and misplaced

I don't think anyone's holding him up in the media as a wonderful human being or example for kids. In music terms this is like John Lennon dying. Or Bowie. Or Marvin Gaye. All flawed human beings but no less worthy of being mourned and celebrated for their achievements.

 

[max cady]

I have no doubt Diego was great but for me as I hve said many times before not the greatest

Maradona today, is basically Messi.

But its not really comparable... not just the game, but the world is so different now.

Messi is a very good comparison, in that both Maradona and he were child prodigy's.

Whereas in the late 60s and into the 70s, Maradona played for his local teams, rose to superstardom by the time he was 18, and was at the mercy of all that fame and wealth brought to a lad who was living in poverty; Messi was spotted, taken to La Masia, and has been protected from all the demons that plagued Maradona. No mafia getting their hooks into him, no parties and cocaine, no teams spending the entire 90 minutes trying to snap his ankles in half every game. Hence he's been able to thrive as a footballer, rather than scrap every inch of the way.

Maradona was a genuine one-off.

I'm sorry I disagree, Pele & George Best were as good if not better and like Maradona flawed. Both George & Pele had their off-field issues too.

 

[TheTanguy]

 

[littlewilly]

The Guardian Football podcast is well worth a listen. Brilliant anecdotes.

 

[Col_M]

Look at this



`would be fantastic to see Dele, Gio or Lamela do that this evening.

 

[Col_M]

The Guardian Football podcast is well worth a listen. Brilliant anecdotes.

Thank you, Listening at the mo, really good.

 

[JimmyG2]

If only VAR had been available then.
His goal would have been disallowed
and his legacy intact.
He scored a second brilliant goal in the true Maradona style anyway.
It was a momentary thing which he didn't expect to get away with.

A wonderful life combating multiple obstacles
any one of which would sink most of us.
From tin shack to football Royalty
from National Hero to abject villain.
Breathtaking.

 

[handsomecake]

RIP but id have messi over him every day of the week.

 

[Trix]

If only VAR had been available then.
His goal would have been disallowed
and his legacy intact.
He scored a second brilliant goal in the true Maradona style anyway.
It was a momentary thing which he didn't expect to get away with.

A wonderful life combating multiple obstacles
any one of which would sink most of us.
From tin shack to football Royalty
from National Hero to abject villain.
Breathtaking.

For me what he did is no different to diving to win a penalty. None whatsoever, both cheating.

 

[mrlilywhite]

If only VAR had been available then.
His goal would have been disallowed
and his legacy intact.
He scored a second brilliant goal in the true Maradona style anyway.
It was a momentary thing which he didn't expect to get away with.

A wonderful life combating multiple obstacles
any one of which would sink most of us.
From tin shack to football Royalty
from National Hero to abject villain.
Breathtaking.

I've always believed and remembered at the time thinking that we were still reeling from the total injustice of the 1st goal and firmly feel that the wonder goal he scored, was, in part because we totally switched off. That said I can't take anything away from him for that 2nd goal, the first though totally built my picture of him going forward. Even in his mums house on a doc I was watching on the BBC showed a painting of that moment with angels pulling Shilt's back, another couple putting their hands over the eyes of the officials and I think one lifting his hand to the ball. Had that goal not gone in, I'm not totally sure the outcome of that game would have been the same. The hand of god was a thinly veiled admittance that he cheated.

I take nothing away from his sheer and utter brilliance and in an era where there was a lot less protection for players of his ilk, week in week out he was targeted and he still dragged Napoli to success that without him would never have been possible. He was in every sense the stereotypical flawed genius. I watched the 2019 documentary film and it opened my eyes to the crazy stuff he went through and all the negatives that being as great as he was brought him. The guy was basically in the mafias pocket and after watching that, my view on him as a person softened somewhat, as I cannot imagine how most people would cope with that level of attention. A footballing icon that, imo will never be replicated. I honestly can't think of anyone better that did what he did.

 

[ethanedwards]

Lengthy excerpt from Soccer in Sun and Shadow, by the seminal Eduardo Galeano:

Thanks, that was a great read.
Totally pissed of with English news media.

 

[popstar7]

 

[popstar7]

 

[Stedt]

I'm Argentinian as you may know.

It's hardly to explain what Maradona is for us. Argentina is a divided country, with a deep rift everywhere, and Diego was in the middle of that rift: there're people who hates him and there're people who deeply loves him.

Personally, I hate what Diego represented in our country but I have to admit that he was the personification of Argentina. If you've never heard anything about my country, just look at him: the talent, the skills, the qualities, the glory, but also the cheat, the belief in our superiority, the fucking hand of God, the disrespect of the rules, and etcetera. And I just prefer to be represented by other qualities around the World. When you're in another country and you said you're from Argentina, all people say "oh, Maradona, the drugs, the hand of God!" or just "Messi".
He made us famous all over the globe. We're not the US or UK, we are not a famous country, but when you think about Argentina, immediately you think "Maradona".

And I also have to admit that he was probably the most iconic player of all time, even though I think Messi is better than him. Diego's life was a fucking movie, his beginnings, the World Cup, the goals against England after the Malvinas War, the drugs, Napoli, etcetera; accompanied by one of the strongest personalities in history.

I just want to farewell Diego with a famous phrase about him: "Diego: it doesn't matter what you have done with your life, what matters is what you have done for our lives".

Chau, Diego. Hasta siempre.

 

[wirE]

The English people need to let this go. It's been 34 yrs and Shilton is still a very bitter man.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

 

['O Zio]

I don't really get when people say they wish his legend wasn't tarnished by the lifestyle or the hand of God etc. because to me that's all part of what makes him such an iconic figure.

Of course he was one of the best (IMO the best) players of all time but it just wouldn't be the same if he was some whiter than white quiet lad who kept himself to himself. Although Messi, for example, is arguably up there with Maradona talent-wise, to me he's never going to be as iconic, partly because he's never dragged a crap team to glory like Maradona did, but also partly because despite his magic on the pitch, he's an incredibly boring/nothingy bloke off it. He's like a purpose built finely crafted product from the La Masia factory rather than this crazy almost cartoonish everyman done good figure like Maradona.

The crazy tortured genius will always be more iconic than the immaculate "laboritory" perfection IMO.

 

[wirE]

View attachment 78184

Fuck me that's funny

 

[Shadydan]

What's worse, handball or kicking the shit out of someone?