Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona

Full Name : Diego Armando Maradona Franco
Born : 30.10.1960
Born in : Lanus, Argentina
Nationality : Argentina
Height : 167 cm
Weight : 70 kg

Career Statistics

Period Team Country

1997 Karriereende
07/1995 - 06/1997 Boca Juniors Argentina
07/1993 - 06/1994 Newell's Old Boy Argentina
07/1992 - 06/1993 Sevilla Spain
07/1884 - 06/1991 SSC Napoli Italy
07/1982 - 06/1984 FC Barcelona Spain
07/1981 - 06/1982 Boca Juniors Argentina
07/1976 - 06/1981 Argentinos Juniors Argentina

International

• Started in 21 consecutive matches for Argentina in four World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
• Appeared a World Cup-record 16 times as captain of the national team.
• Scored 8 goals and made 8 assists in 21 World Cup appearances, including 5 goals and 5 assists in 1986
  
• Tied for second-highest goal-scorer from Argentina in World Cup finals (Equaled Guillermo Stabile's mark in 1994, Surpassed by Gabriel Batistuta 1998)

Individual

• Golden Ball for Best Player of the Fifa U-20 World Cup 1979
• Argentine League Top Scorer: 1979, 1980, 1981
• Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year: 1979 — 1981, 1986
• South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas):1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992
• Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year: 1986
• Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup: 1986
• Best Footballer in the World (Once): 1986 — 1987
• World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine) 1986
• Serie-A Italy LeagueTop Scorer: 1987/1988
• Golden Ball for services to football France Football 1996
• Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century: 1999
• "FIFA best football player of the century", people's choice: 2000
• FIFA Goal of the Century (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal): 2002
• Argentina Senate "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento" recognition for lifetime achievement: 2005

Coaching

* 1994 Mandiyu de Corrientes
* 1995 Racing Club de Avellaneda

Reputation

Ever since 1986, it is common for Argentines abroad to hear Maradona name as a token of recognition, even in remote places.
In Argentina, Maradona is often talked about in terms reserved for legends.
In the Argentina film El hijo de la Novia (The bride's son), an actor who plays a fake Catholic priest says to a bar patron:
" They idolized him and then crucified him"
When swcolded by a friend for taking the prank too far, the fake priest retorts: "But I was about Maradona".

In Rosario city, Argentina, fans organized the "Church of Maradona".
Maradona's 43rd birthday in 2003 marked the start of the Year 43 D.D. - "Después de Diego" or After Diego - for its founding 200 members. Tens of thousands more have become members via the church's official web site.

Hounded for years by the press, Maradona even fired a comressed-air rifle against reporters who, so he claimed, invaded his privacy. This quote from former teammate Jorge Valdano summarizes the feelings of many:

“

He is someone many people want to emulate, a controversial figure, loved, hated, who stirs great upheaval, especially in Argentina... Stressing his personal life is a mistake. Maradona has no peers inside the pitch, but he has turned his life into a show, and is now living a personal ordeal that should not be imitated.

”

A television commercial for Brazilian soft drink Guarna Antarctica portrayed Maradona as a member of the Brazilian national football team, including wearing the yellow jersey and singing the Brazilian national anthem with Brazilian caps kaka and Ronaldo.

Later on in the commercial he wakes up realizing it was nightmare after having drank too much of the soft drink. This generated some controversy in the Argentine media after its release (although the commercial was not supposed to air on the Argentine market, fans could see it via internet). Maradona replied that he has no problem in wearing the Brazilian national squad jersey, instead, only in wearing River Plate's jersey.

In May 2006, Maradona agreed to take part in UK's Soccer aid (a program to raise money for UNICEF). Maradona scored a penalty but it was too late to save the match which England won 2-1.