The Legacy of Diego Maradona and How He Changed Football for the Better.

 by Sebastian Martin

Diego Maradona is widely considered to be one of the greatest footballers to ever grace the pitch. He made his professional debut on the 20th October 1976 for Argentina, just before his sixteenth birthday, which demonstrates the outrageous natural talent he possessed as it was very rare in those days to make your professional debut so early. From the start he impressed and started with the Boca Juniors first team in 1981, instantly becoming a star. He started to catch the attention of big European clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona. 

In 1982 he got his dream move to Barcelona, and announced his name on the European scene. His move to Napoli two years later was what truly defined his club career however. He won the Italian scudetto with an average Napoli team who had not competed in years, and wrote his name into club folklore. 

But it was on the international scene that he really staked his claim as one of the greatest of all time.  The 1986 World Cup was the one he will be best remembered for, with his winner against England in the quarter finals voted as goal of the century. There are many stories of Maradona during this world cup, from his crazy nights out to his oddly brilliant warm ups, but the one that best shows his presence around the globe is the sense of mystery and intrigue he brought to the competition. Back in those days, football was not televised as widely as it is now, so you could not watch Maradona playing in the foreign leagues unless he was playing in your country. So, people in Britain had only heard of his brilliance without ever being able to see it. Millions would tune into Argentina’s games purely to get a glimpse of Maradona, and by the time the tournament had reached its conclusion and Maradona was lifting the trophy, everyone knew what the fuss was about. 

The media hype and stardom was something that had never been seen before, and was a huge weight on Maradona shoulders which, unfortunately, he couldn’t handle. His greatness is illustrated by the immense grief in his home country after his recent death, with all Argentinians being granted three days of mourning and flooding the streets to pay tribute to their hero. The mark that he left on his countrymen is very rare, and very special. 

Maradona's life off the pitch was a turbulent and troubled one, and although this should never tarnish his footballing achievements, it did certainly affect the longevity of his brilliance. Throughout his career Maradona suffered from a drug addiction. The superstar battled with his addiction even during his playing career, and was first banned for 15 months following a failed drugs test in 1991 - ending his legendary seven-year spell at Napoli - where to this day he is still adored. He was then charged with drug trafficking and possession later that year, receiving a suspended 12 month sentence. In 1994, he was sent home early from the world cup after failing yet another drugs test, and this eventually put an end to Maradona's career. 

He was also renowned for his wild nights out, and a great story that came from this was his encounter with the Gallagher brothers. The story goes that Noel and Liam Gallagher were in a nightclub, and heard that Maradona was upstairs in a VIP area, so naturally they thought they would go and meet him. As they arrived at the bar, they could tell that he was not in the most sober state. They greeted him and he turned to them, simply saying ‘if you leave with any of these girls then you're dead’. Paranoid or cryptic?!

Although he had these problems he also showed a different side off the pitch, being compassionate and friendly. He would always make time for fans, especially in his home country of Argentina, and a clip I especially like is of him playing football with disabled children, which he did regularly when he was in his hometown, laughing and joking with them. 

He was well known in the media for being a funny and vibrant character to interview, especially in his early years, and he always seemed to be a beloved character. A clip of him introducing Gary Linker to the Argentina squad perfectly illustrates this side of him.

In conclusion, Diego Maradona will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever kick a ball. His rise from poverty to stardom won't be forgotten and his legacy will continue to live on in the footballing world for decades to come.