BUENOS AIRES – Diego Maradona, considered one of the most important footballers of all time before drugs and alcohol ruined his career, died Wednesday at his home in Argentina from a center attack, his lawyer said.
Loved in his home country after taking Argentina to world cup glory in 1986 and adored in Italy for taking Napoli to two Serie A titles, Maradona, an exclusive skill player who emerged from the complicated streets of Buenos Aires to triumph at the top of his sport. .
He died four years after one of his political heroes, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, and 15 years after the troubled but talented folk hero of football, George Best, whom Maradona cited as one of the inspirations of his training years.
Maradona had recently had trouble staying in shape and underwent emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma several weeks ago.
He suffered an attack in the center of his home in the Buenos Aires suburb on Wednesday, said the former player, whose death was evident through his lawyer.
In Buenos Aires, others began to take to the streets to mourn the nation’s favorite son, gathering in the district of San Andrés where he lived, in Boca, the sandy neighborhood where he became a star, and in the vicinity of the city of Los Angeles. Silver where he had recently been technical director of the local gymnastics and fencing team.
The Argentine government declared 3 days of mourning. President Alberto Fernández said in a tweet: “You have taken us to the top of the world and you have made us incredibly happy. You were the greatest of all. Thank you for being with us. ” Diego. We will miss you for the rest of our lives. “
A revival would take place at the presidential palace in Casa Rosada from Thursday to Saturday, a spokesman said.
Pope Francis, an Argentine fan, remembered Maradona in his prayers, the Vatican said.
At Buenos Aires metro stations, virtual posters have replaced messages on trains with the words: “Thank you Diego”.
In the suburbs of Villa Crespo, the song “La Mano de Dios” by folk singer Rodrigo Bueno, highlighted from a balcony, alluding to a purpose that Maradona scored with his opposite hand to England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. been respected as “The God” — the God.
Although this purpose – and his description of divine intervention – was Maradona’s most controversial, his moment in this match, where he crossed into the English national team to score a surprising solo goal, showed an ordinary dribble and control that many unequalled.
In addition to her many winning performances, Maradona delighted the world with the juggling with the ball she first showed as a 12-year-old ball-picker.
But the other aspect of Maradona surfaced at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, when he sent home after a doping test failed.
His ultimate purpose for Argentina came here in this tournament opposite Greece in Boston and he celebrated it by yelling angrily at a got herera television.
Pelé, the Brazilian footballer considered one of the only players who has approached Maradona’s skill level, quick to pay homage to the Argentine.
“Certainly one day we will hit a balloon in combination in the sky, ” he said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “What Diego has done for football, to fall in love with this game, is unique. Diego deserves our eternal gratitude for it.
At club level, Maradona signed for Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires before betting in Spain with Barcelona; he idolized in Italy after taking Napoli to his first name in the Italian league in 1987.
The scenes in Naples are now beautiful. So much love for your #Maradona ?❤pic. twitter. com/M706WPnpYQ
The mayor of Naples, Luigi de Magistris, has asked for the name of the stadium to be changed to the player.
“Diego made others dream, bought Naples with his genius. In 2017, our honorary citizen, Diego, Neapolitan and Argentinian, gave us joy and happiness!Naples loves you!wrote on Twitter.
Street art and graffiti encouraged through Maradona in the Italian city have long been tourist attractions, but then he faced tax disorders in the country and in 2009, police told him the slopes not to pay taxes while in a clinic in northern Italy. .
Maradona finished his playing career in Argentina, returning to Boca. He had a brief time of controversy as coach of the Argentine national team from 2008 to 2010 before coaching clubs from the Middle East and Mexico.
He had five young men identified by relationships with several women, but others also claimed to be his father. His daughter Giannina married for 4 years Argentine player Sergio Aguero, Manchester City striker of the English Premier League.
This is the most productive aspect of diego apparently how smart he is with a ball on his feet #Maradona pic. twitter. com/iSr0RAn33I
Maradona has befriended Castro while receiving medical care in Cuba and had tattoos from The Cuban leader and his former partner Che Guevara, also a supporter of former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.
Years of drug use, overeating and alcoholism cut off his stellar career and replaced his appearance as an agile athlete who can simply effortlessly slalom a bloated addict who nearly died of a cocaine-induced center failure in 2000.
But in his heyday, it was Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, a “magician like no other. “
“Today I say goodbye to a friend and the world says goodbye to an eternal genius,” he said.
“One of all time. A magician like no other. He leaves too early, but leaves a legacy with no limits and a void that will never fill up. Rest in peace, ace. It will never be forgotten. “
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