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 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 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-metre (66 yd) dribble past five England players; it was voted 'Goal of the Century' by FIFA.com voters in 2002.

In Their Own Story

The world premiere of Diego Maradona was screened out of competition at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2019. The UK premiere was screened as the opening night film at the 26th Sheffield Doc/Fest on 6 June 2019. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 June 2019 by Altitude Film Distribution. It had a theatrical limited release in the United States on 20 September and has been available on HBO on demand and HBO partners streaming platforms since 1 October 2019. Spirit Entertainment is set to release Diego Maradona on digital, DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on 11 November 2019. The film debuted at No. 29 on the UK Official Film Chart on 20 November 2019.

Reader's Guide

Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career. In his international career with Argentina, he 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. 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).

Did You Know?

• Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors on 20 October 1976, ten days before his 16th birthday, becoming 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, two weeks after turning 16.
• Maradona completed a US$4-million transfer to Boca Juniors in February 1981 and won the 1981 league title with them.
• He became the first Barcelona player to receive a standing ovation at the Bernabéu after a Copa de la Liga match in 1983.
• Maradona died on 25 November 2020.