It was sad to hear the news that Diego Maradona has died. Here in Italy it is headline news, and much of the evening on tv has been spent eulogising him.
Living and being a football fan in the UK during the height of Maradona's career, of course the defining memory is the infamous "Hand of God" incident (Maradona commented on it some years later in a chat with Gary Lineker). Thus, although I cannot deny his footballing ability, there was quite a bit of resentment, not so much for using his hand, but for the way he responded when challenged about it.
The photograph above, that I took at Wembley just over a year after that World Cup match, marks the only time that I saw Maradona play live. It was a commemorative friendly between a team representing the Football League and a Rest of the World XI. I remember clearly that when Maradona came out onto the pitch, the first thing he did was to wave the offending hand at the crowd (which might be the reason behind why he was booed whenever he had the ball).
Maradona was a gifted player, and had a stellar career, but was also plagued with problems of substance abuse and addiction. His demise is sad and premature. He will be remembered for his contribution to the beautiful game. May his loved ones be comforted as they mourn their loss.
tributes on the BBC news page
BBC obituary
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