November 26th 2020.
On October 30, 1960, Diego Maradona, the Argentine football legend, was born into a poor family in Lanus, Buenos Aires Province. He spent his childhood in a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires. His childhood was relatively uneventful, but he had an incredible talent for football.
Maradona started his football career at Argentinos Juniors, where he made his professional debut on October 20, 1976. He scored 115 goals in 167 appearances before moving to Boca Juniors for a four-million US dollar transfer. After only one season at Boca, he moved to Europe and joined Spanish giant Barcelona for a then world-record fee of 7.6 million US dollars. After winning a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona, he arrived in Napoli and was welcomed by 75,000 fans at his presentation at the Stadio San Paolo.
At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career and was even regarded as a hero of the city. He led the club to Serie A champion twice in 1987 and 1990, snapping the dominance of the league by clubs from north and center Italy. He also participated in four World Cups with the Argentine national team, among which the 1986 World Cup was remembered as his masterpiece. He scored five goals and made five assists to lead Argentina to the champion, and his second goal against England in the quarterfinal was truly majestic.
Maradona captained Argentina to another World Cup final in 1990, but an ankle injury affected his overall performance and Argentina lost 1-0 to West Germany in the final. After leaving Italy in 1992, he joined Spanish outfit Sevilla, and then Newell's Old Boys and Boca Juniors in 1995. He then had a coaching career, becoming the head coach of the Argentina national team in late 2008 and leading them in the 2010 World Cup. He also coached Dubai-based club Al Wasl in the UAE Pro-League, and Fujairah and Mexican club Dorados. His last coaching role was with Argentine Primera Division club Gimnasia de La Plata from 2019 until his death on November 25th, 2020, after suffering a heart attack at his home in Tigre, Buenos Aires.
Maradona was a true legend of the game, revered by fans across the world. His passing has left a huge void in the footballing world and his legacy will live on forever.
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