Second footballer to be previewed for our football special, the one and only George Best.

Bestie

Belfast boy

As the well-known line goes: Pelé Good. Maradona Better. George Best

George Best, born May 22, 1946, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, excelled as a winger for Manchester United and Northern Ireland. With speed, balance, vision, superb close control, ambidexterity, and a knack for stunning goals, he was undeniably one of football’s greatest talents.In 1968, he earned the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year for his stellar English First Division season and European Footballer of the Year after leading Manchester United to their first European Cup victory.

the “fifth Beatle”

Stylish and handsome, he was dubbed the “fifth Beatle” for his glamorous lifestyle and joy he gave to millions.

After that high point in which he won as much as any player could by the age of 22, his career started to slide as his battles with alcoholism blighted his life. A battle he finally succumbed to when he died in the early hours of 25 November 2005, aged 59, as a result of a lung infection and multiple organ failure.

Early Years and family

George Best was the first child of Dickie Best and Anne Best. He grew up in the Cregagh estate in east Belfast, with four sisters, and one brother.

As a young teenager George’s exceptional talent came to the notice of his local club Glentoran. But the club rejected him concerned about his small frame and light weight. Thankfully the skinny teenager was spotted playing for the local boys club in the Cregagh by Manchester United’s Northern Ireland scout, Bob Bishop, whose immediate telegram to the United manager Matt Busby simply read: “I think I’ve found you a genius.”.
George was subsequently given a trial and signed up by chief Manchester United scout Joe Armstrong in 1961.

Man United

He first came to Manchester in 1961 with his good friend Eric McMordie. Both homesick they stayed for only two days and quickly went back to Belfast. Manchester United were not going to let this gem slip through, and he was soon influenced to return after a telephone conversation between George’s father, Dickie and United’s manager Matt Busby.

The early years

In 1963, George turned pro and debuted in the First Division at 17 years old, on September 14, against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford, winning 1–0. Legend says opponent Graham Williams shook George’s hand post-match, joking, “Stand still, son, so I can see your face. I’ve been chasing your backside all day up the touchline.”

In his next game for United against Burnley, George scored his first goal, and by the end of the 1963–64 season, he made 26 appearances, scoring six goals. Manchester United finished second, four points behind Liverpool. That same season, Best was a part of the Manchester United side that won the 1964 FA Youth Cup, the first since the 1958 Munich air disaster.

Football in those days had hard men playing on even harder pitches. Players like Best were often fodder for the likes of Chelsea’s Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris or Bremner, Charlton, Reanery, aka the hit men of Leeds AFC (of that there was many!) The great Busby ensured that “fierce, sometimes brutal” training sessions left Best well used to coping with these tough challenges. Think of the modern game, think of a once was Red, think of Ronaldo’s tendency for hitting the ground. Best took the hits and stayed on his feet, a credit and testament to his skill and character.

His playing style combined pace, acceleration, superb balance, and the talent to beat defenders at will, with the ability to score from left as well as right foot and head. His father teaching him to practice kicking a ball with both feet, hour upon hour, as a child in Belfast. Good lessons, well learned.

The United Trinity

In his first full season, 1964–65, Best, along with Dennis Law and Bobby Charlton, the magnificent trio, helped Manchester United to claim the league title ahead of bitter rivals Leeds United; over the course of the campaign Best contributed 14 goals in 59 competitive games.

European Cup 

In the 1965–66 season in a European Cup quarter-final match, Best is remembered, at the age of 19, for scoring two goals inside the opening 12 minutes in a 5-1 rout against the then powerhouse of European football, Benfica at the Estádio da Luz. This was Benfica’s first ever home defeat in any European competition. The Portuguese press were so mesmerised that they entitled him “O QuintoBeatle”, “the fifth Beatle”, a nickname that stuck. However United failed to win any major honours in the 1965–66 season, and Best got injured from March onwards with a twisted knee following a bad tackle against Preston North End.

The 1966–67 season was again successful, as Manchester United claimed the league title by four points. An ever-present all season long, Best scored ten goals in 45 games.

In 1967–68 season a home defeat to Manchester City proved costly as United lost the league to their local rivals by exactly two points at the end of the season tally. Yet the season would be remembered by United fans for a more important trophy, the European Cup. Facing six times champions Real Madrid in the semi-finals, Best scored the only goal of the home fixture. In the return fixture at the Bernabéu, Best crossed for Bill Foulkes to level the game at 3–3 and win the tie 4–3.<br>Days later, as the First Division’s joint top-scorer, Best was presented with the FWA Footballer of the Year award, becoming the youngest ever recipient of the award.

Legendary no 7

In the European Cup Final at Wembley United were again set to face Benfica who had the magical star Eusébio on their team. Whilst his teammates rested, Best found that the best way to pass the time the night before a big game was by sleeping with “a particular young lady called Sue”.

In the final, ninety minutes produced a 1-1 scoreline, the game went into extra-time. Just three minutes into extra-time Best went on a dribble, round one challenge and beating the keeper, before casually rolling the ball into the empty net; further goals from Brian Kidd and Bobby Charlton settled it for United at 4–1.The victory was not only the pinnacle of Best’s career, but arguably Manchester United’s greatest achievement, considering the Munich air disaster had wiped out most of the “Busby Babes” just ten years previously. That night George Best made Matt Busby’s dream come true. To put the win into context, it took Man United another 31 years to win the European cup again!

Euro Cup Winners

Best also won the Ballon d’Or in 1968. This meant that he had won the three major honours in club football at the age of just 22 (the league title, European Cup, and European Player of the Year award). After this, his steady decline began.

In the 1968–69 campaign the club’s new signings were not able to settle, as United dropped to 11th in the league before Busby announced his retirement. Best scored 22 goals in 55 games.

Under new boss Wilf McGuinness, United improved slightly, but still only managed an eighth place finish in the 1969–70 season. Best scored 23 goals, including a memorable six in an 8–2 win over Northampton Town through one of the worst pitches imaginable at the County Ground in the FA Cup. Mud and dirt, remember that young scallywags of today!

Busby returned as manager in December 1970, though the 1970–71 season also ended without a trophy. Best began to get into trouble with his discipline: fined by the FA for misconduct, and suspended by United for two weeks after missing the trip down south to Chelsea to share a weekend with actress Sinéad Cusack instead.

Best not at his best

After Matt Busby fully retired each of the new managers struggled to manage him.
New manager Frank O’Farrell led United to an eighth place finish in 1971–72. With 27 goals in 54 appearances Best finished as the club’s top-scorer for the sixth – and final – consecutive season. However he failed to turn up for training for a whole week in January as he opted to spend his time with Miss Great Britain 1971, Carolyn Moore.

United’s decline continued in the 1972–73 season. United were not the force they used to be, getting beat by teams they should have really beaten. Best said that “I increasingly had the feeling that I was carrying the team at times on the pitch. Disillusioned, he began to drink more with the result that his training suffered and his appearances became less. Best went missing in December to another party in London. He was suspended, and transfer-listed.

Best’s last competitive game for the club was on 1 January 1974 against QPR at Loftus Road, which United lost 3–0.He failed to turn up for training three days later and was dropped by the then manager, the volatile Tommy Docherty. United went on to suffer relegation into the Second Division in 1973–74.

By the end of the 1974 season his days at Manchester United were over. He was only 26.<br>Over eleven seasons, Best made 470 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions from 1963 to 1974, and scored 179 goals. He helped Manchester United win two League Championships (1964-1965 and 1966-1967) and their first European Cup (1967-1968)

Other Clubs

After leaving Manchester United in 1974 Best went on a globe-trotting series of destinations taking in short spells in South Africa, Ireland, the United States, Scotland, and Australia, amongst other places.

In South Africa he played only five competitive matches for team Jewish Guild. Best endured criticism for missing several training sessions. During his short time there, he attracted thousands of spectators to the matches.

Best had a brief spell in Ireland with Cork Celtic. He made his League debut against Drogheda United at Flower Lodge on 28 December 1975. He played only three league games, but despite attracting big crowds he failed to score or impress. On a rolling contract, his failure to show for a game saw him being dropped and he subsequently left the club.

George Best and Bobby Moore

In 1976, Best joined Fulham in London with Bobby Moore, playing 42 games over two seasons and scoring eight goals. His Craven Cottage stint is notable for tackling his own teammate Rodney Marsh in a match against Hereford United.

Best played for three U.S. clubs: Los Angeles Aztecs, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and San Jose Earthquakes, plus Detroit Express on a European tour. He scored 15 goals in 24 games in his first Aztecs season and was named the NASL’s best midfielder in his second.

In 1979 he made a scoring debut for the Scottish club Hibernian. At the time the club was suffering a decline in fortunes and was heading for relegation. Attendances dipped well below 8,000, but on the day George made his debut, over 20,000 fans turned up. Best was signed on a “pay per play” basis. Even though Best failed to save Hibs from relegation gates increased dramatically. Best was initially sacked by Hibs after he went on a massive drinking session with the French rugby team, who were in Edinburgh to play Scotland as part of the Five Nations Rigby Tournament. He was brought back a week later.

He returned to the USA to play for the San Jose Earthquakes. In his third season in the States, Best scored once in 12 appearances.<br>In Hong Kong, of all places, he was invited as a guest player and played three matches for two First Division teams (Sea Bee and Rangers) in 1982.

In late 1982, Bournemouth manager Don Megson signed the 36-year-old Best for the Third Division side, and he stayed there until the end of the 1982–83 season, when he retired from football at the age of 37.

After his retirement, Best still played the odd friendly and select games for teams such as Newry Town, in Australia for the Brisbane Lions and Dee Why Football Club.
On 8 August 1988, a testimonial match was held for Best at Windsor Park. Among the crowd were Sir Matt Busby, and Bob Bishop, the scout who discovered Best, while those playing included Osvaldo Ardiles, Pat Jennings and Liam Brady. Scoring twice it was a very memorable thank you to all Best’s supporters in his home town of Belfast.

Northern Ireland

From 1964 to 1977, Best was capped 37 times for Northern Ireland, making his debut just days before his 17th birthday playing his first full international against England.

Unfortunately during Best’s Manchester United days, Northern Ireland were not a competitive team in world football. When the small country did show some hope in the early 80’s, a sharp lack of fitness in Best’s game, and Billy Bingham’s thickness, never allowed his talent to be exhibited in the finals of a European Championship or World Cup. Probably the best footballer never to play in a major world final. Two words, Billy: Roger Milla!!!!

Against Banks and England

On 15 May 1971, Best scored his most famous international goal, in Belfast against England. Except it wasn’t a goal at all! While Gordon Banks, the English goalkeeper, was about to kick the ball downfield, Best cheekily kicked it, sending the ball over their heads towards the open goal. Best then headed the ball into the empty goal, but, although legal, the goal was disallowed by referee Alistair Mackenzie who despite not seeing the incident would always take the word of honest Gordon Banks.

Norn Iron

In 1976, Northern Ireland were playing the Netherlands in Rotterdam in a World Cup qualifying game. The Dutch team, runners-up in the 1974 World Cup and made up of a squad of total footballers, were an intimidating match for any team in the world, never mind small little Northern Ireland. Not so Best who not only nutmegged the brilliant Johan Neeskens but also the maestro himself, Johan Cruyff’s. The end result of the game was 2-2, or 2-0 if we are talking nutmegs.

Celebrity, and After Football

First superstar of football

Such was Best’s talent and charisma that he became one of the first celebrity footballers, receiving more than 1,000 fan mail letters a week. He became known for his long hair, good looks and extravagant celebrity lifestyle. He owned fashion boutiques, nightclubs, restaurants and shops. Had modelling contracts a plenty and appeared on Top of the Pops in 1965, making cameos in movies and fitness albums, yeah make no doubt this was the ‘swinging-sixties’!

Best was married twice, to two former models, Angie Best and then Alex Best.

However for a shy lad from Belfast his subsequent flash lifestyle led to various problems, most notably alcoholism, which he suffered from for the rest of his adult life. These problems also affected him on the field. Remember he was meant to be a professional footballer. Rigorous training can be hard especially when one was up half the night entertaining another miss world. Something had to give. Different managers struggled to manage him, and his football career went downhill fast.

on the Wogan show

In September 1990, Best actively participated in a prime-time British TV appearance on the popular BBC chat show “Wogan,” where he appeared heavily intoxicated and disheveled, at one point boldly telling Terry Wogan, “Terry, I like screwing.” This was a very public show of the problems best was having trying to adjust to a life without the daily grind of football.

In the 1990′s he established himself as a successful sports pundit with Sky Sports and was a popular after dinner speaker, but his financial and health problems continued into his retirement.
Best continued to drink, he couldn’t stop. He tried all known cures to give up the drinking, including stomach implants, but all to no avail.
A liver transplant in 2002 gave new hope. The transplant was performed on the NHS, a decision which was controversial due to Best’s alcoholism. He still didn’t stop drinking.

Best past away on the 25th November in 2005, age 59, as a result of a lung infection and multiple organ failure due to complications from the drugs he needed to take, to prevent his body from rejecting his transplanted liver.

Belfast murial

For his funeral, his body left the family home early in the morning on the Cregagh Road, East Belfast, on Saturday, 3rd December 2005. The cortege then travelled the short distance to Stormont. The route was lined with over a 100,000 mourners. The funeral was shown live on several television stations. Best was later cremated, and, as he requested, his ashes were entombed beside his mother Annie in a private ceremony.

George Best Belfast City Airport

Afterwards, Belfast City Airport was renamed George Best Belfast City Airport as a tribute to Best.

George Best. Forever remembered. A life lived.

Bestie Quotes

George Best number seven

• If you’d given me the choice of going out and beating four men and smashing a goal in from thirty yards against Liverpool or going to bed with Miss World, it would have been a difficult choice. Luckily, I had both.

• I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.

• I used to go missing a lot… Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom, Miss World.

• I’ve stopped drinking, but only while I’m asleep.

• In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol – it was the worst 20 minutes of my life.

• If I’d been born ugly, you’d never have heard of Pelé.

• He (David Beckham) cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle and he doesn’t score many goals. Apart from that he’s all right.

• I was born with a great gift, and sometimes with that comes a destructive streak. Just as I wanted to outdo everyone when I played, I had to outdo everyone when we were out on the town

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Best

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Diego Maradona

Diego Armando Maradona, El Diego, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, was born 30 October 1960, Lanus, Buenos Aires. The short and chunky left-footer often used his low centre of gravity to have the strength, skill and dribbling ability to dictate games, taking him past defenders with ease, which often ended in a goal or an assist. (for Careca no doubt!)
FIFA, the football world governing body, conducted an Internet poll where fans from all over the globe named Maradona the top player of the 20th century. And a panel of experts later added Pelé.

Diego

The Argentine played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell’s Old Boys, and in his international career, playing for Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. He played in four World Cup tournaments, including the 1986 tournament, where he captained Argentina and led them to their victory over West Germany in the final, winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player. In November 2008, with little managerial experience, he became head coach of the Argentina national team guiding his country to the 2010 World Cup.

Maradona is considered one of the sport’s most controversial figures. From his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal, the shooting of an air rifle at reporters, to all that cocaine he has used. Maradona certainly has a checkered past. He was suspended from football for 15 months in 1991 after failing a drug test, for cocaine, in Italy, and he was sent home from the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. after testing positive for ephedrine. His outspoken manners have sometimes put him at odds with journalists and sport executives, and he has an ongoing verbal spat with Pele that seems to rare its head before every world cup.

Church of Maradona

But it is in Argentina where Maradona is considered more than just a sports hero. He is idolized, and like Evita Peron, he is seen as the soul of the country, given the name of “God”. In Rosario, they have taken this one step further where the locals have organised the “Church of Maradona” where worshipers genuflect towards their idol and god, ie Diego. It has tens of thousands members and their prayer is…

“Our Diego, who is on the pitches
Hallowed be thy left hand, bring us your magic. Make your goals remembered on earth as in heaven,
Give us some magic every day, forgive the English, as we have forgiven the Napolitan Mafia,
Don’t let yourself get caught offside and free us from Havelange and Pelé.
Diego”

The 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

Diego Maradona was born on 30 October 1960, in Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, but raised in a shantytown on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a poor family as one of eight kids. Maradona is of Italian, Spanish, Croatian, Indigenous-Argentinian ancestry. His surname originates from the Southern Italian region of Calabria.

In motion

Maradona displayed football talent early, and at age eight he joined Las Cebollitas (“The Little Onions”), a youth team of Argentinos Juniors. Showing his exceptional ability at an early age, Maradona led Los Cebollitas to an incredible 136-game unbeaten run and a national championship. He signed with Argentinos Juniors at age 14 and made his first-division debut in 1976 at fifteen, and only sixteen when he won his first cap for Argentina against Hungary in 1977, becoming the youngest Argentine ever to do so.

Although he was excluded from the 1978 World Cup-winning squad because it was felt that he was still too young, the next year he led Argentina to the under-20 Junior World Cup championship. Within this time period he was also voted South American Player of the Year in the years 1979 and 1980.

Club Career

Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors

Boca

On 20 October 1976, ten days before his sixteenth birthday, Maradona made his professional debut with Argentinos Juniors. He played there between 1976 and 1981, scoring 115 goals in 167 appearances before his £1m transfer to Boca Juniors. Boca was the team Maradona always wanted to play for. Although only there for a year he did help them win the championship before moving to Europe.

Barcelona

FC Barcelona broke the world transfer record fee when they paid £5 million ($7.6m) for his services at the start of 1982/83.
Maradona had a difficult time in Spain. His spell in Barcelona lasted only two seasons and both were hampered by illness, injuries and other scandals. First he was sidelined for months with hepatitis, then a broken ankle caused by an ill-timed tackle by Athletic’s Andoni Goikoetxea”,The Butcher from Bilbao” who put Maradona out for months. There was also the ongoing disputes with the team’s directors, especially club President Josep Lluís Núñez.

Barca

Despite all this, in 1983, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey beating Real Madrid. And on two seasons his goal to game ratio wasn’t too shoddy, scoring 38 goals in 58 games. Also at that time he was recorded as the most kicked player in the league, at a time when forwards didn’t get the same level of protection as they do from referees nowadays.

But overall it was considered a period of underachievement for such a talented player as Maradona and it was his time at Barcelona that he allegedly started to use cocaine.<br>In 1984 he was transferred to Napoli in Italy’s Serie A for another world record fee, £6.9m ($10.48m), in a move that he hoped would re-ignite his career.

Napoli

SSC Napoli, who just about avoided relegation on each of the two previous seasons, decided to spend a world record £6.9 million to bring Maradona to the Stadio San Paolo in the summer of 1984, where he was welcomed by 75,000 fans at the home stadium.

Napoli

At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his club career. He quickly became an adored star among the club’s tifosi, and in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history. Led by Maradona, Napoli won the league and cup double in the 1986/87 season, their first Serie A Italian Championship knocking Michel Platini’s glorious Juventus off the throne, and won the league title again in 1990. To put this into context this was an astounding success since never before had a team from the southern mainland of Italy ever won the league, with the usual northern powerhouse clubs as Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan winning most of the previous titles in Serie A history. And Napoli added the uefa cup in 1989 to their trophy cabinet, the clubs first European title.

But Maradona’s personal problems continued. He received $70,000 in fines from his club for missing games and practices, claiming he was too stressed and tired to play, and a 15-month suspension from playing football after failing a drug test for cocaine heralded his exit from the club and country. Coupled to this was allegations of dodgy links with – the Camorra – the city’s Mafia also affected his reputation with the Italian FA and so he left for Spain in 1992.

Iconic Status

Yet with all of this, Maradona’ remains an icon and legend in Napoli. In honor of Maradona and his achievements during his career at the club, the No. 10 jersey was officially retired.<br>Further highlighting his icon status in the city, on hearing of his near death from a drug overdose, many Neapolitan families gathered around a shrine, a portrait of Diego, praying nightly for his recovery. His legend will always remain in Napoli, a city and club he was proud to play for.

Sevilla, Newell’s Old Boys and Boca Juniors

After serving his 15-month ban, in 1992 he surprisingly signed for Sevilla of Spain, where he stayed for just the one year. In 1993 he returned to Argentina and played for Newell’s Old Boys and in 1995 he returned to his beloved Boca Juniors for two years and played his last match on Oct. 25, 1997.

Overall he played 490 club games during his 21-year professional career, scoring 259 goals.

International career

World Cup winner

During his time with the Argentine national team, Maradona scored 34 goals in 91 appearances. He made his full international debut at the age of 16, against Hungary on 27 February 1977. At 18, he played the World Youth Championship for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, excellent in their 3–1 final win over the Soviet Union. On 2 June 1979, it was Scotland that Maradona scored his first senior international goal in a 3–1 win at Hampden.

Maradona’s career with the Argentine national team included four World Cup appearances in 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1994.

España 82

Maradona played his first World Cup tournament in 1982.

Although the team progressed from the first round, they were defeated in the second round by Brazil and by eventual winners Italy. Maradona played in all five matches, scoring twice against Hungary. The Italian match is renowned for Maradona being aggressively man-marked by Claudio Gentile who gave an Azzuri master class in shirt pulling, sly digs, scheming pulls, ankle kicks and other devious methods to stop Maradona getting into the flow of the game. He was fouled 23 times in the match which was a single-match World Cup-record, as Italy beat Argentina. After being fouled repeatedly in all his World Cup games, Maradona’s temper eventually got the better of him against Brazil and he was sent off for a vicious foul on Batista with 5 minutes to go.

Getting sent off and Argentina bowing out in the second phase wasn’t the ideal introduction to the world of Argentina’s new wonder kid.

Mexico 86

The crowning moment of Maradona’s career came in Mexico where he captained Argentina to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup winning the final against West Germany. Throughout the 1986 World Cup Maradona dribbled his way into the collective imagination of the world. He was the player of the 1986 World Cup. He played every minute of every Argentina game, scored 5 goals and made 5 assists.

Hand of god

In a 2–1 quarterfinal victory over England, he scored two of the most memorable goals in World Cup history. A cheeky handball goal which he later said was the “Hand of God”, and then his amazing dribbling run of 60 yards where Maradona gained possession of the ball in his own half and with 11 touches ran more than half the length of the field, dribbling past a pack of English defenders and rounding the keeper before calmly slipping the ball in the net, regarded as the greatest World Cup goal in history.

Maradona and Belgium

Two more goals from Maradona came in the semi-final against Belgium, including another memorable virtuoso dribbling display for the second goal. This was followed up by a win against West Germany in the final, where despite Germany’s tactic of double marking him throughout the whole game he still managed to find the space to give the final pass to Jorge Burruchaga to net the winning goal. Argentina beat West Germany 3–2 in front of a huge crowd of 115,000 spectators at the Azteca Stadium.

During the course of the tournament, Maradona attempted or created more than half of Argentina’s shots, embarked on 90 dribbles some three times more than any other player and was fouled 53 times winning his team twice as many free kicks as any player. Maradona scored or assisted 10 of Argentina’s 14 goals including the assist for the winning goal in the final. He single handedly won the world cup for his country, and was voted Golden Ball winner as best player of the tournament.

King of the World

He is the only player as of yet to win the Golden Ball at both the FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA World Cup, in 1979 and 1986.

Italia ’90

Carry an injury going into Italia ’90, Maradona was not on the same level as four years earlier. Yet despite this he again captained Argentina to yet another World Cup Final. Argentina beat hosts Italy on penalties in semifinal match played in his beloved Naples, but couldn’t prevent West Germany winning the World Cup, 1–0, the only goal being a penalty by Andreas Brehme in the 85th minute after a controversial foul on Rudi Völler who rolled and rolled and rolled……

And yet Maradona was still voted the tournament’s third best player, despite fouled 50 times throughout the competition, a new World-Cup record, in a generally regarded dour, defence minded, World Cup.

USA 1994

Definitely not on drugs

At the 1994 FIFA World Cup Maradona played in only two games, scoring one goal against Greece, before being sent home after testing positive for the drug ephedrine. To many it was clear he was on something as he just about head butted the camera after his goal against Greece, eyes bulging, chest puffed out, and high on something other than just adrenaline. His failed drugs test at the 1994 World Cup beckoned the end of his international career.

Altogether, Maradona played in four World Cups, scoring 8 goals in 21 World Cup appearances, and scored an impressive 34 goals in 91 international appearances for Argentina, making him Argentina’s second highest scorer after Gabriel Batistuta.
Maradona also played on South American championship-winning teams in 1987 and 1989

South Africa 2010

In 2008, Maradona was surprisingly hired to coach the Argentinean national team. Surprising as he had little or no real management experience. After stumbling into the world cup (6-1 defeat to Bolivia included!) and having a talented squad headlined by Lionel Messi, they were sent home from the 2010 World Cup with a 4-0 hiding by Germany in the quarter-finals, and Maradona’s contract was not renewed. It was a nice dream, but it didn’t happen Diego.

Politics, Retirement and the Rest

The politics

Just Chillin

Coming from very humble beginnings, Maradona has shown sympathy to left-wing ideologies. He became friends with Cuban leader Fidel Castro while receiving drug treatment on the island. Diego also has a portrait of Castro tattooed on his left leg and, fellow Argentine, Che Guevara on his right arm. He dedicated his autobiography, “El Diego” to “Fidel Castro and, through him, all the Cuban people”.

During the 2005 Summit of the Americas in Argentina, he protested George W. Bush’s presence, and referred to the American president as “human trash”. “As far as I’m concerned, he is a murderer”, and Maradona headed a 15,000-strong counter protest against the summit.

In August 2007, Maradona stated “I hate everything that comes from the United States. I hate it with all my strength.” The fact that he is probably not well known in the USA helps of course!

In December 2007, Maradona presented a signed shirt with a message of support to the people of Iran: it is to be displayed in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ museum

Diego and Chavez

Maradona was also a supporter of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. “I believe in Chávez, I am Chavista. Everything Fidel does, everything Chávez does, for me is the best.”

Retirement, TV and his Spats with Pele

In 2000, he won FIFA Player of the Century award which was to be decided by votes on their official website, their official magazine and a grand jury. Maradona won the Internet based poll easily getting 53.6% of the votes to 18.53% for Pelé. In spite of this, FIFA unexpectedly decided to add a second award and appointed a “Football Family” committee that also gave to Pelé the title of best player of the century to make it equal. This angered Diego, and has developed into something of an ongoing spat with Pelé, who Maradona calls the “old man”.

ZZZZ

The two personalities could not be more different. Pele the clean cut, corporate fan, and Diego rough, very rough, around the edges. Both great footballers, but both very different. An example. Pele just recently gave a heartfelt plea to his fellow Brazilians not to protest before the world cup, in fear of driving away tourists. He said sitting behind a huge logo for Santander bank! What would Diego do?

On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10 (“The Night of the no. 10”). The show is a huge success and guests have included Zidane, Ronaldo and Hernán Crespo, Fidel Castro and Mike Tyson.

Hell-raising

Cocaine, baby

It is said that Maradona became addicted to cocaine while playing in Spain in 1983 and this addiction lasted right through until 2004. By the time he was playing for Napoli he had a regular addiction, which interfered with his ability to play football which eventually resulted in him receiving a 15-month suspension after testing positive for the substance. He could no longer play in Italy.

Maradona endured another high-profile suspension three years later, this time for testing positive for ephedrine during the 1994 World Cup, sent home in disgrace after just two matches.

Looking good

Since his playing days were over, things initially got worse with Maradona having a few serious heart problems resulting in time in hospitals and intensive care units.
In 2004, he had a cocaine overdose; and was was admitted to intensive care in a Buenos Aires hospital. He remained there for several days before being eventually discharged.

In 2007, Maradona was readmitted to a hospital in Buenos Aires. He was treated for hepatitis and effects of alcohol abuse. After transfer to a psychiatric clinic specialising in alcohol-related problems, he was later discharged.

Maradona also has a habit of hitting out at the press. He once fired a compressed-air rifle at reporters who he claimed were invading his privacy. Cocaine can be like that.

But it now appears that Maradona is back in good health, he has lost a lot of weight (surgery?), quit drinking and has not used drugs in many years. Hopefully Diego will get to see his beloved Argentina win the World cup this year in Brazil 2014, as no doubt he will be picked up on TV supporting from the stands cheering on his “la Albiceleste” (the White and Sky Blues)

Diego, in his own words

Maradona

On Pele

“There would be no debate about who was the best footballer the world had ever seen – me or Pele. Everyone would say me.”

“Pele should go back to the museum.”

“The people voted for me. Now they want me to share the prize with Pele. I’m not going to share the prize with anybody.”

“He took the wrong pill. Instead of taking the pill for before bedtime, he took his morning pill. He got confused. I suggest that next time he takes the right medication and that he changes his doctor”

“Why would you compare me to Pele? My mother said I’m stronger and that he played with players who couldn’t even move”

“I don’t like comparisons with Pele because of the stupid things he says. He keeps on saying stupid stuff when he takes the wrong pills”

“Usually, when you see him these days, it’s only at award ceremonies next to the president of FIFA and looking like a doll that’s being moved by remote control”

On Beckham

“Beckham is a nice man and I’m sure he will reach 100 appearances for England. But he is just a good player, nothing more.”

On American politics…

“I think Bush is a murderer. I’m going to head the march against him stepping foot on Argentine soil.”

On the his first goal against England in the 1986 World Cup

“It was the hand of God.”

“It was like pick-pocketing the English and stealing a win.”

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Maradona

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