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Date of birth: 30 October 1960
Place of birth: Lanús, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Playing position: Attacking Midfielder
Football's greatest: Maradona
Biography
Diego Armando Maradona, born in Lanús Argentina but raised in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires. He's talent was soon spotted by Argentinos Juniors where he started playing at age 10. He made his debut for the first team at age 15. He played 5 years for Argentinos after he went to Boca Juniors in 1981. In his first full season with Boca he already won the Primera División, he's impressive dribbles and goals had not been unnoticed.
Maradona earned a transfer to European top club FC Barcelona were he
would stay 2 seasons and score 38 goals in 58 matches.
His last match for Barcelona was in the final of the Copa del Rey in
1984 against Athletic Bilbao. Maradona had just been recovered from an
injury caused by a terrible tackle by one of Biblao's players.
In the final Maradona gets tackled again, this time he gets angry and
kicks a Bilbao player causing a fight to start. Barcelona losses the
match with 1-0 and Maradona leaves Camp Nou, signing a contract with
Napoli.
It is at Napoli where he will have the best period of his career,
winning Napoli's first Italian Championship in 1987 and repeating it in
1990. In 1989 Napoli wins the UEFA Cup by beating VfB Stuttgart in the
final with 2-1, Maradona scoring one of the goals.
However the most brilliant part of his career was at the 1986 FIFA World
Cup where he wins the tournament with Argentina. The most famous match
of the tournament being the quarterfinal against England (2-1). It is in
this match where Maradona scores twice, the first goal being a handball
of which he would later say it was "The hand of god". His second after
an amazing dribble in which he passes 5 England defenders and goalkeeper
Shilton.
Maradona would later say in one of his interviews "In that game no one
could have stopped me, not even Mike Tyson". Maradona continued to play
well that tournament by scoring two amazing goals against Belgium (2-0)
in the semifinals and winning the final against West Germany with 3-2.
Maradona had a great influence in the Argentinian victory by scoring 5
goals and making 5 assists. He won the Golden Ball for best player of
the tournament.
After the 1990 FIFA World Cup in which Argentina lost the final with 3-2
against West Germany, Maradona failed for a drugs test for cocaine and
was banned for 15 months. He left Napoli in 1992 to play for Sevilla. In
1993 he left Sevilla and went to Newell's Old Boys where he would play 5
matches. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup Maradona was back for a moment by
scoring a goal against Greece in the group stage. After that match
Maradona was sent home for failing a drug test.
In 1995 Maradona returned to Boca Juniors for the last 2 years of his career. He was one of the greatest players ever, without a doubt the best dribbler ever, a great free kick taker and a brilliant passer.
Career
| Club Record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | Goals |
| 1976–1981 | Argentinos Juniors | 167 | 115 |
| 1981–1982 | Boca Juniors | 40 | 28 |
| 1982–1984 | Barcelona | 36 | 22 |
| 1984–1991 | Napoli | 188 | 81 |
| 1992–1993 | Sevilla | 26 | 5 |
| 1993–1994 | Newell's Old Boys | 7 | 0 |
| 1995–1997 | Boca Juniors | 30 | 7 |
| Total | 494 | 258 | |
| National Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | Goals |
| 1977–1994 | Argentina | 91 | 34 |
Honours
| Team Honours | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Trophy | Years | |
| Argentina | World Champion | 1986 | |
| Napoli | UEFA-Cup | 1989 | |
| Napoli | Italian Championship | 1987, 1990 | |
| Napoli | Italian Cup | 1987 | |
| Napoli | Italian Super Cup | 1991 | |
| Barcelona | Spanish Cup | 1983 | |
| Barcelona | Spanish League Cup | 1982 | |
| Barcelona | Spanish Super Cup | 1983 | |
| Boca Juniors | Argentinean Championship | 1981 | |
| Individual Honours | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Trophy | Years | ||
| South American Footballer of the Year | 1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992 | ||
| FIFA Player of the Century | |||
| FIFA Goal of the Century | (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal): 2002 | ||
| Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup | 1986 | ||
