Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Maradona after scoring against Italy in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico
| |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Diego Armando Maradona Franco[note 1] | ||
| Date of birth | 30 October 1960 | ||
| Place of birth | Lanús, Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder Second striker[2][3][4][5] | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team
| Fujairah (manager) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1976–1981 | Argentinos Juniors | 167 | (116) |
| 1981–1982 | Boca Juniors | 40 | (28) |
| 1982–1984 | Barcelona | 36 | (22) |
| 1984–1991 | Napoli | 188 | (81) |
| 1992–1993 | Sevilla | 26 | (5) |
| 1993–1994 | Newell's Old Boys | 5 | (0) |
| 1995–1997 | Boca Juniors | 30 | (7) |
| Total | 491 | (259) | |
| National team | |||
| 1977–1979 | Argentina U20 | 24 | (13) |
| 1977–1994 | Argentina | 91 | (34) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1994 | Mandiyú de Corrientes | ||
| 1995 | Racing Club | ||
| 2008–2010 | Argentina | ||
| 2011–2012 | Al Wasl | ||
| 2017– | Fujairah[6] | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Diego Armando Maradona Franco (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.[7][8][9][10][11] He was joint FIFA Player of the 20th Century with Pelé.[12][13]
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.[14] 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 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 maneuver better 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.[15]
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.[16]
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".[17]
Contents
[hide]Early years
"When Diego came to Argentinos Juniors for trials, I was really struck by his talent and couldn't believe he was only eight years old. In fact, we asked him for his ID card so we could check it, but he told us he didn't have it on him. We were sure he was having us on because, although he had the physique of a child, he played like an adult. When we discovered he'd been telling us the truth, we decided to devote ourselves purely to him."
—Francisco Cornejo, youth coach who discovered Maradona.[18]
Diego Armando Maradona was born on 30 October 1960, at the Policlínico (Polyclinic) Evita Hospital in Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, but raised in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina,[19] to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province. He was the first son after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (el Turco) and Raúl (Lalo), both of whom were also professional football players. He was the fifth child and first son of Diego Maradona "Chitoro" (d. 2015) and Dalma Salvadora Franco 'Doña Tota' (1930–2011). Maradona's parents were both born and brought up in the town of Esquina in the north-east province of Corrientes Province, living only two hundred metres from each other on the banks of the Corriente River. In 1950, they left Esquina and settled in Buenos Aires. At age eight, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighbourhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors. As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games.[20] He named Brazilian playmaker Rivelino and Manchester United winger George Best among his inspirations growing up.[21][22]
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