Diego Armando Maradona was an Argentine professional football player and manager.
123 Facts About Diego Maradona
2.
Diego Maradona had a troubled off-field life and was banned in both 1991 and 1994 for abusing drugs.
3.
Diego Maradona 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.
4.
Diego 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.
5.
Diego Maradona became the coach of Argentina's national football team in November 2008.
6.
Diego Maradona was in charge of the team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa before leaving at the end of the tournament.
7.
In 2017, Diego Maradona became the coach of Fujairah before leaving at the end of the season.
8.
In May 2018, Diego Maradona was announced as the new chairman of Belarusian club Dynamo Brest.
9.
From September 2018 to June 2019, Diego Maradona was coach of Mexican club Dorados.
10.
Diego Maradona was the coach of Argentine Primera Division club Gimnasia de La Plata from September 2019 until his death in November 2020.
11.
Diego Armando Maradona was born on 30 October 1960, at the Policlinico Evita Hospital in Lanus, Buenos Aires Province, to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province; he was raised in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
12.
Diego Maradona has two younger brothers, Hugo and Raul, both of whom were professional football players.
13.
When Diego Maradona came to Argentinos Juniors for trials, I was really struck by his talent and couldn't believe he was only eight years old.
14.
Diego Maradona's parents were both born and brought up in the town of Esquina in the north-east province of Corrientes on the banks of the Corriente River.
15.
Diego Maradona received his first football as a gift at age three and quickly became devoted to the game.
16.
Diego Maradona became a star for the Cebollitas, and as a 12-year-old ball boy he amused spectators by showing his ball skills during the halftime breaks of Argentinos Juniors' first division games.
17.
Diego Maradona named Brazilian playmaker Rivellino and Manchester United winger George Best among his inspirations growing up.
18.
On 20 October 1976, Diego Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors, 10 days before his 16th birthday, versus Talleres de Cordoba.
19.
Diego Maradona entered to the pitch wearing the number 16 jersey, and became the youngest player in the history of the Argentine Primera Division.
20.
Diego Maradona scored his first goal in the Primera Division against Marplatense team San Lorenzo on 14 November 1976, two weeks after turning 16.
21.
Diego Maradona received offers to join other clubs, including River Plate who offered to make him the club's best paid player.
22.
Diego Maradona signed a contract with Boca Juniors on 20 February 1981.
23.
When Diego Maradona ran with the ball or dribbled through the defence, he seemed to have the ball tied to his boots.
24.
In 1983, under coach Cesar Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Diego Maradona won the Copa del Rey, beating Real Madrid, and the Spanish Super Cup, beating Athletic Bilbao.
25.
On 26 June 1983, Barcelona won away to Real Madrid in one of the world's biggest club games, El Clasico, a match where Diego Maradona scored and became the first Barcelona player to be applauded by arch-rival Real Madrid fans.
26.
Diego Maradona dribbled past Madrid goalkeeper Agustin, and as he approached the empty goal, he stopped just as Madrid defender Juan Jose came sliding in an attempt to block the shot.
27.
Jose ended up crashing into the post, before Diego Maradona slotted the ball into the net.
28.
Diego Maradona was directly involved in a violent and chaotic fight at the 1984 Copa del Rey Final at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid against Athletic Bilbao.
29.
Diego Maradona aggressively got up, stood inches from Sola's face and the two exchanged words.
30.
Diego Maradona then headbutted Sola, elbowed another Bilbao player in the face and kneed another player in the head, knocking him out cold.
31.
Diego Maradona arrived in Naples and was presented to the world media as a Napoli player on 5 July 1984, where he was welcomed by 75,000 fans at his presentation at the Stadio San Paolo.
32.
At Napoli, Diego Maradona reached the peak of his professional career: he soon inherited the captain's armband from Napoli veteran defender Giuseppe Bruscolotti and quickly became an adored star among the club's fans; in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history.
33.
Diego Maradona faced intense backlash and harassment from some local fans after the 1990 World Cup, in which he and Argentina beat Italy in a semi-final match at the San Paolo stadium.
34.
Diego Maradona appeared for Tottenham Hotspur in a testimonial match for Osvaldo Ardiles against Internazionale, shortly before the 1986 World Cup.
35.
Diego Maradona was himself given a testimonial match in November 2001, played between an all-star World XI and the Argentina national team.
36.
Diego Maradona made his full international debut at age 16, against Hungary, on 27 February 1977.
37.
Diego Maradona was left off the Argentine squad for the 1978 World Cup on home soil by coach Cesar Luis Menotti who felt he was too young at age 17.
38.
Diego Maradona left everyone open-mouthed every time he got on the ball.
39.
Diego Maradona did so in 1979 and 1986, which Messi emulated in 2005 and 2014.
40.
Diego Maradona played his first World Cup tournament in 1982 in his new country of residence, Spain.
41.
Diego Maradona played in all five matches without being substituted, scoring twice against Hungary.
42.
Diego Maradona was fouled repeatedly in all five games and particularly in the last one against Brazil at the Sarria, a game that was blighted by poor officiating and violent fouls.
43.
Diego Maradona captained the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, winning the final in Mexico City against West Germany.
44.
Diego Maradona played every minute of every Argentina game, scoring five goals and making five assists; three of the assists came in the opening match against South Korea at the Olimpico Universitario Stadium in Mexico City.
45.
Diego Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Diego Maradona and a little with the hand of God".
46.
Ultimately, on 22 August 2005, Diego Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he had hit the ball with his hand purposely, and no contact with his head was made, and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate.
47.
Diego Maradona received the ball in his own half, swivelled around and with 11 touches ran more than half the length of the field, dribbling past five English outfield players before he left goalkeeper Peter Shilton on his backside with a feint, and slotted the ball into the net.
48.
Diego Maradona followed this with two more goals in a semi-final match against Belgium at the Azteca, including another virtuoso dribbling display for the second goal.
49.
Diego Maradona scored or assisted 10 of Argentina's 14 goals, including the assist for the winning goal in the final, ensuring that he would be remembered as one of the greatest names in football history.
50.
Zinedine Zidane, watching the 1986 World Cup as a 14-year-old, stated Diego Maradona "was on another level".
51.
Diego Maradona captained Argentina again in the 1990 World Cup in Italy to yet another World Cup final.
52.
At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Diego Maradona played in only two games, scoring one goal against Greece, before being sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine doping.
53.
Diego Maradona's claim was that the US version, unlike the Argentine one, contained the chemical and that, having run out of his Argentine dosage, his trainer unwittingly bought the US formula.
54.
Diego Maradona separately claimed that he had an agreement with FIFA, on which the organization reneged, to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play.
55.
Diego Maradona's failed drug test at the 1994 World Cup signalled the end of his international career, which lasted 17 years and yielded 34 goals from 91 games, including one winner's medal and one runners-up medal in the World Cup.
56.
Diego Maradona was renowned for his dribbling ability, vision, close ball control, passing, and creativity, and is considered to have been one of the most skilful players in the sport.
57.
Diego Maradona had a compact physique, and with his strong legs, low center of gravity, and resulting balance, he could withstand physical pressure well while running with the ball, despite his small stature, while his acceleration, quick feet, and agility, combined with his dribbling skills and close control at speed, allowed him to change direction quickly, making him difficult for opponents to defend against.
58.
Diego Maradona was effective in limited spaces, and would attract defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee, or give an assist to a free teammate.
59.
Diego Maradona showed leadership qualities on the field and captained Argentina in their World Cup campaigns of 1986,1990, and 1994.
60.
Diego Maradona was a dangerous free kick and penalty kick taker, who was renowned for his ability to bend the ball from corners and direct set pieces.
61.
Some critics view his controversial "Hand of God" goal at the 1986 World Cup as a clever manoeuvre, with one of the opposition players, Glenn Hoddle, admitting that Diego Maradona had disguised it by flicking his head at the same time as palming the ball.
62.
Diego Maradona was dominantly left-footed, often using his left foot even when the ball was positioned more suitably for a right-footed connection.
63.
Diego Maradona's first goal against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup semi-final is a worthy indicator of such; he had run into the inside right channel to receive a pass but let the ball travel across to his left foot, requiring more technical ability.
64.
Diego Maradona is widely regarded as the best player of his generation.
65.
Diego Maradona is considered one of the greatest players of all time by pundits, players, and managers, and by some as the best player ever.
66.
Diego Maradona would look so incredibly out of shape, but then he'd train like crazy and sweat it off by the time matchday came along.
67.
Diego Maradona had a way of being, and that idea of talking to him honestly about how a typical week transpired was pretty amazing.
68.
In 1999, Diego Maradona was placed second behind Pele by World Soccer in the magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Players of the 20th Century".
69.
Diego Maradona is someone many people want to emulate, a controversial figure, loved, hated, who stirs great upheaval, especially in Argentina.
70.
Diego Maradona has no peers inside the pitch, but he has turned his life into a show, and is living a personal ordeal that should not be imitated.
71.
In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego, which became a bestseller in Argentina.
72.
Two years later, Diego Maradona donated the Cuban royalties of his book to "the Cuban people and Fidel".
73.
Diego Maradona came fifth in the vote of the IFFHS.
74.
Diego Maradona has topped a number of fan polls, including a 2002 FIFA poll in which his second goal against England was chosen as the best goal ever scored in a World Cup; he won the most votes in a poll to determine the All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.
75.
On 22 March 2010, Diego Maradona was chosen number 1 in 'The Greatest 10 World Cup Players of All Time' by the London-based newspaper The Times.
76.
In 2003, Diego Maradona was employed by the Libyan footballer Al-Saadi Gaddafi, the third son of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, as a "technical consultant", while Al-Saadi was playing for the Italian club, Perugia, which was playing in Serie A at the time.
77.
Diego Maradona's contract began 1 August 2005, and one of his first recommendations proved to be very effective: advising the club to hire Alfio Basile as the new coach.
78.
Diego Maradona gave each of his guests a signed Argentina jersey, which Tyson wore when he arrived in Brazil, Argentina's biggest rivals.
79.
In November 2005 Diego Maradona rejected an offer to work with Argentina's national football team.
80.
In May 2006, Diego Maradona agreed to take part in UK's Soccer Aid.
81.
On 26 August 2006, it was announced that Diego Maradona was quitting his position in the club Boca Juniors because of disagreements with the AFA, who selected Alfio Basile to be the new coach of the Argentina national team.
82.
Diego Maradona set up a goal for Roberto Baggio during the first half of the match, with a chipped through-ball over the defence with the outside of his left foot.
83.
Unusually, both Baggio and Diego Maradona wore the number 10 shirt, despite playing on the same team.
84.
Diego Maradona began his managerial career alongside former Argentinos Juniors midfield teammate Carlos Fren.
85.
Diego Maradona departed this role in 2017 to become the head coach of Fujairah, in the UAE second division, before leaving at the end of the season upon failure to secure promotion at the club.
86.
In May 2018, Diego Maradona was announced as the new chairman of Belarusian club Dynamo Brest.
87.
On 13 June 2019, after Dorados failed to clinch promotion to the Mexican top flight, Diego Maradona's lawyer announced that he would be stepping down from the role, citing health reasons.
88.
On 5 September 2019, Diego Maradona was unveiled as the new head coach of Gimnasia de La Plata, signing a contract until the end of the season.
89.
However, two days later, Diego Maradona rejoined the club as manager saying that "we finally achieved political unity in the club".
90.
Diego Maradona insisted that Gabriel Pellegrino remain club president if he were to stay with Gimnasia de La Plata.
91.
Diego Maradona's coaching staff resigned from the club following his death.
92.
On 29 October 2008, AFA chairman Julio Grondona confirmed that Diego Maradona would be the head coach of the national team.
93.
The Italian courts had already ruled so in 1993, after Diego Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests to prove or disprove his paternity.
94.
Diego Maradona's relationship with his immediate family was a close one.
95.
Diego Maradona was in Dubai at the time, and desperately tried to fly back in time to see her, but was too late.
96.
In 2014, Diego Maradona was accused of assaulting his girlfriend, Rocio Oliva, allegations which he denied.
97.
Diego Maradona allegedly began using the drug in Barcelona in 1983.
98.
Diego Maradona was banned from football in both 1991 and 1994 for abusing drugs.
99.
Diego Maradona was obese from the end of his playing career until undergoing gastric bypass surgery in a clinic in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, on 6 March 2005.
100.
Diego Maradona's surgeon said that Maradona would follow a liquid diet for three months in order to return to his normal weight.
101.
When Diego Maradona resumed public appearances shortly thereafter, he displayed a notably thinner figure.
102.
On 29 March 2007, Diego Maradona was readmitted to a hospital in Buenos Aires.
103.
In January 2019, Diego Maradona underwent surgery after a hernia caused internal bleeding in his stomach.
104.
Diego Maradona voiced support for Bolivia's president Evo Morales and was a supporter of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
105.
In 2004, Diego Maradona participated in a protest against the US-led war in Iraq.
106.
Diego Maradona declared his opposition to what he identified as imperialism, particularly during the 2005 Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
107.
In December 2007, Diego Maradona presented a signed shirt with a message of support to the people of Iran: it is displayed in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' museum.
108.
Diego Maradona attended Maduro's final campaign rally in Caracas, signing footballs and kicking them to the crowd, and presented Maduro with an Argentina jersey.
109.
On 2 November 2020, Diego Maradona was admitted to a hospital in La Plata, supposedly for psychological reasons.
110.
Three years earlier Diego Maradona had conducted a workshop with 100 kids in the stadium and played a charity match at the same venue with former Indian cricket captain, Sourav Ganguly.
111.
Diego Maradona was a special compensation factor for a country that in a few years lived through several military dictatorships and social frustrations of all kinds.
112.
Diego Maradona offered to Argentines a way out of their collective frustration, and that's why people there love him as a divine figure.
113.
Diego Maradona did it first by nefarious and then spellbindingly brilliant means.
114.
Diego Maradona was included in many cameos in the Argentine comic book El Cazador de Aventuras.
115.
Diego Maradona has had several online Flash games that are entirely dedicated to his legacy.
116.
Diego Maradona featured in the music video to the 2010 World Cup song "Waka Waka" by Shakira, with footage shown of him celebrating Argentina winning the 1986 World Cup.
117.
Diego Maradona replied that he had no problem wearing the Brazilian national squad jersey despite Argentina and Brazil's tense football rivalry, but that he would refuse to wear the shirt of River Plate, Boca Juniors' traditional rival.
118.
In 2017, Diego Maradona featured as a legendary player in the football video games FIFA 18 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2018.
119.
In 2019, a documentary film titled Diego Maradona was released by Academy Award and BAFTA Award winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia, director of Amy and Senna.
120.
Diego Maradona is the third part of a trilogy about child geniuses and fame.
121.
Diego Maradona was a leader, taking his teams to the very top, but many lows in his career.
122.
Diego Maradona was always the little guy fighting against the system.
123.
Diego Maradona made 680 appearances and scored 345 goals for club and country combined, with a goalscoring average of 0.51.