Diego Maradona

Lore & Background

Maradona was seen as an advanced playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position. He was known for his vision, passing, ball control, and dribbling skill, and was known as a free kick specialist. His small stature gave him a low centre of gravity and allowed him to manoeuvre better than most other players. His presence and leadership on the field had a great effect on his team's performance, and he was given the nickname El Pibe de Oro ('The Golden Boy').

He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career. He led Napoli to their first Serie A league title, and their second three years later; he was later banned from the club for taking cocaine. He was the first player to set the world record transfer fee twice: in 1982 when he transferred to Barcelona for £5 million, and in 1984 when he moved to Napoli for £6.9 million. In his international career with Argentina, Maradona earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals.

He played in four editions of the FIFA World Cup, including the 1986 World Cup, where he led Argentina to victory as captain 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. His first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the 'Hand of God', while his second goal came after a 60 m dribble past five England players; it was voted 'Goal of the Century' by FIFA.com voters in 2002.

Maradona became the manager of the Argentina national team in November 2008, and departed after the 2010 World Cup. He coached the United Arab Emirates (UAE) club Al Wasl during the 2011–12 season, and was the chairman of the Belarusian club Dynamo Brest for several months in 2018. He also coached the UAE club Fujairah (2017–2018), the Mexican club Dorados (2018–2019) and the Argentine club Gimnasia de La Plata (2019–2020). Maradona died on 25 November 2020.

Reader's Guide

Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors on 20 October 1976, ten days before his 16th birthday. He became the youngest player in the history of the Argentine Primera División. He scored his first two goals as a professional against San Lorenzo on 14 November 1976. He spent five years at Argentinos Juniors, scoring 115 goals in 167 appearances. He transferred to Boca Juniors in February 1981 for US$4 million, winning the 1981 league title. In 1982 he moved to Barcelona for a world record £5 million, winning the Copa del Rey and Copa de la Liga. In 1984 he transferred to Napoli for a world record £6.9 million. He led Napoli to their first Serie A title and a second three years later, but was later banned from the club for taking cocaine.