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== ಆಟಗಾರರಾಗಿ ==
೧೫ನೇ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮೆರಡೋನ ಅರ್ಜೆಂಟಿನೋಸ್ ಜೂನಿಯರ್ಸ್ ತಂಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾದಾರ್ಪಣೆ ಮಾಡಿ [[೧೯೭೬]]ರಿಂದ [[೧೯೮೧]]ರವರೆಗೂ ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಆಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು.
೧೯೮೨ರಲ್ಲಿ ಮರಡೋನ ತಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರಥಮ ವಿಶ್ವಕಪ್ ಪಂದ್ಯಾವಳಿಯನ್ನು ಆಡಿದರು. ಮೊದಲನೇ ಸುತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಚಾಂಪಿಯನ್ ತಂಡ ಆರ್ಜೆಂಟೀನಾ [[ಬೆಲ್ಜಿಯಂ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್ ತಂಡ|ಬೆಲ್ಜಿಯಂ]] ತಂಡಕ್ಕೆ ೦-೧ ರಿಂದ ಸೋತಿತು. ನಂತರ [[ಹಂಗರಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್ ತಂಡ|ಹಂಗರಿ]] ಮತ್ತು [[ಎಲ್ ಸಾಲ್ವಡಾರ್ ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್ ತಂಡ|ಎಲ್ ಸಾಲ್ವಡಾರ್]] ಗಳನ್ನು ನಿರಾಯಾಸಕರವಾಗಿ ಸೋಲಿಸಿ ದ್ವಿತೀಯ ಸುತ್ತಿಗೆ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿತಾದರೂ ಅಂತಿಮವಾಗಿ ವಿಶ್ವಕಪ್ ಗೆದ್ದ [[ಇಟಲಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್ ತಂಡ|ಇಟಲಿ]] (೧-೨) ಮತ್ತು ಮರಡೋನಾರನ್ನು ಹೊರಕ್ಕೆ ಕಳುಹಿಸಿದ [[ಬ್ರೆಝಿಲ್ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್ ತಂಡ|ಬ್ರೆಝಿಲ್]] ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಪಂದ್ಯ (೧-೩) ಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಎರಡನೇ ಸುತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸೋತಿತು.
[[ಚಿತ್ರ:MVC-074S.JPG|thumb|Diego's Boca 1981 match-worn shirt, in his first season with his favourite team that he led to win the Argentine Apertura Metropolitan league]]
Later in the year, Maradona was transferred to [[FC Barcelona]]. In 1983, under coach [[César Luis Menotti]], Barcelona and Maradona won the [[Copa del Rey]] (Spain's annual national cup competition), beating [[Real Madrid]]. However, Maradona had an unhappy tenure in Barcelona: first a bout with [[hepatitis]], and then an ill-timed tackle by [[Athletic Bilbao]]'s [[Andoni Goikoetxea Olaskoaga|Andoni Goikoetxea]] that put Maradona's career on the line; Diego's physical strength and willpower made it possible for him to be back on the pitch after only 14 weeks. It is said that while playing for Barcelona, Maradona was introduced to cocaine, to which he would become an addict.
[[ಚಿತ್ರ:Maradona 1985.jpg|thumb|left|Maradona with Napoli's #10.]]
Barcelona's management was not satisfied with Maradona, and in 1984 transferred him to [[SSC Napoli]], where he became an adored star, lifting the team to its most successful era. Napoli won their only [[Serie A|Italian Championships]] (1986/87 and 1989/1990), a [[Coppa Italia]] (1987), a [[UEFA Cup]] (1989) and an [[SuperCoppa Italiana|Italian Supercup]] (1990). Napoli were also runners-up in the Italian Championship twice (1987/88 and 1988/89).
Maradona led the Argentine national team to victory in the {{Wc|1986}}, the team winning 3–2 in the final against [[Germany national football team|West Germany]]. Throughout the 1986 World Cup, Maradona asserted his dominance and was widely regarded as the best player of the tournament. However, it was the two goals he scored in the quarter-final game against [[England national football team|England]] which cemented his legend. Action replay footage showed that the first [[Goal (sport)|goal]] was scored with the aid of his [[hand]]. He later claimed it was the "[[Hand of God goal|Hand of God]]" and described it as "A little of the hand of God, and a little of the head of Maradona," implying that God was ultimately responsible for the goal, because the [[referee (football)|referee]] had missed the handball offense. However, on [[22 August]] [[2005]] Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he hit the ball with his hand purposely and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. He recalled thinking right after the goal that "I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came . . . I told them, 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'" <ref>[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/mark_bechtel/08/24/daily.blog/index.html CNNSI - "The right way to cheat Pulling a fast one is sometimes part of the game"] Last retrieved [[May 19]] [[2006]]</ref>
[[ಚಿತ್ರ:Maradona 1990 world cup.jpg|thumb|Maradona at the 1990 world cup in Italy]]
In contrast, however, Maradona's second goal was an uncontroversial and impressive display of footballing skill. He ran half the length of the pitch, passing five English players ([[Glenn Hoddle]], [[Peter Reid]], [[Kenny Sansom]], [[Terry Butcher]], and [[Terry Fenwick]]) as well as goalkeeper [[Peter Shilton]]. This goal was voted [[Goal of the Century]] in a 2002 online poll conducted by [[FIFA]]. Argentina went on to defeat England 2-1 in that game. The two goals were ranked 6th in the [[100 Greatest Sporting Moments]] in 2002 by the UK's Channel 4 television channel.
He followed this with another miraculous goal in the semi-final against [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]]. In the final the opposing [[Germany national football team|German]] side attempted to subdue him by double-marking but he nevertheless found the space to lay on the winning goal for [[Jorge Burruchaga]].
Maradona also captained Argentina in the {{Wc|1990}}, leading his team to the final, where they lost 1–0 to West Germany. He arrived at the {{Wc|1994}} and played two games (scoring one goal) before being sent home after failing a [[drug test]] for [[ephedrine]] [[doping (sport)|doping]]. On this matter, he has suggested that he had an agreement, on which FIFA later reneged, to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play, so that the World Cup would not lose prestige because of his absence. This allegation was never proved, and many attribute his comment ("they cut off my legs") to Diego's anger at being suspended.
In [[Naples]] Maradona transformed the local club, [[SSC Napoli]]. Traditionally they had been overshadowed by the teams from the industrial cities in the north, but Maradona's arrival (along with [[Careca]] and others) brought them a first [[scudetto]], followed by a second in 1989, and cup successes. However, he also faced a scandal there regarding an illegitimate son and was the object of some suspicion over his friendship with the [[Camorra]], the local [[mafia]].
Maradona left Napoli in 1992, after serving a 15-month ban for failing the [[drug test]] for [[cocaine]], and played for [[Sevilla FC]] (1992–93), [[Newell's Old Boys]] (1993) and Boca Juniors (1995–97). He also attempted to work as a [[coach (sport)|coach]] on two short stints, leading [[Mandiyú]] of Corrientes (1994) and [[Racing Club de Avellaneda|Racing Club]] (1995) without much success. He retired from football on [[October 30]], [[1997]].
== Football style ==
Short and stocky, Maradona had a very strong physique and could withstand physical pressure better than almost all players. His strong legs and low center of gravity gave him additional advantage in short sprints. This is illustrated by his two goals against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup.
He was also a wizard with the ball and could manage himself in limited spaces, attracting defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as in the second goal against England), or pass to a free teammate who would take the ball and score, like [[Jorge Burruchaga|Burruchaga]] did to secure the 1986 World Cup.
Maradona could convert fragile possessions into goals. His goal against Italy in the 1986 World Cup demonstrated this. In Maradona's time defenses became more athletic, so both dribbling and securing possession of the ball
One of Maradona's trademark moves was [[dribbling]] full-speed as a left wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering accurate passes to his teammates that many times proved lethal. Another trademark was the ''[[Rabona]]'' or reverse-cross pass (shot behind the leg that holds all the weight), with which he provided several assists, such as the powerful cross for [[Ramón Díaz]]'s header in the 1984 friendly against [[Switzerland national football team|Switzerland]].
Maradona's kicking had a mixture of precision and power that enabled him to score many free kicks. Since he seldom used his right foot for any decisive action, defenders were confounded the few times he did.
ವಿಶ್ವ ಕಪ್ ನ್ ನಂತರ ಮರಡೋನ ಅವರನ್ನು ಬಾರ್ಸಿಲೋನಾ ತಂಡಕ್ಕೆ ವರ್ಗಾಯಿಸಲಪಟ್ಟರು.ಕೋಚ್ ಸೀಜಾರ್ ಲೂಯಿಸ್ ಮೇನೋಟಿ ಇವರ ನೇತೃತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಪೇನ್ ನ್ ವಾರ್ಶಿಕ ಚಾಂಪಿಯನ್ ಶಿಪ್ ಗಳಿಸಿದರೂ ಸಹ ಬಾರ್ಸಿಲೋನಾದೊಡನೆಯ ನಂಟು ಸಿಹಿಯಾಗಿರಲೇನಿಲ್ಲ.ಮೊದಲಿಗೆ ಯಕೃತ್ತಿನ ತೊಂದರೆ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಂಡರೆ,ಆನಂತರ ಅಥ್ಲೆಟಿಕ್ ಬಿಲಾಬೊ ತಂಡದ ಅನದೋನೆ ಗೋಯ್ಕ್ಸೇಟಾ ಇವರೊಡನೆ ಆಟದ ತಾಕಲಾಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಘಾಯಾಳುವಾದರು.ಆದರೂ ತಮ್ಮ ಮನೋದೈಹಿಕ ಬಲದಿಂದ ಬರೇ ೧೪ ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪುನಃ ಕಣಕ್ಕೆ ಇಳಿದರು.
== Personal Agents ==
Jorge Cyterszpiller, a childhood friend, was Diego's first agent. He set up ''Maradona Producciones'' but did not score any major successes with merchandising, as counterfeiters would quickly imitate any product that came on the market. On his advice, Maradona started charging for interviews, a move that generated some controversy.
After breaking up with Cyterszpiller, Diego hooked up with Guillermo Coppola, a bank employee who had started representing players as a hobby and was already a major agent in the mid-1980s. Coppola oversaw the biggest contracts of Diego's career, but also was involved in the drug scandals of the early 1990s. Maradona and Coppola parted ways acrimoniously, and they still refer to the end of their relations as an "open wound".
== Retirement and honours ==
In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography ''Yo Soy El Diego'' ("I am ''The Diego''"), which became an instant [[bestseller]] in his home country.
In the same year, Maradona was voted Player of the Century in an official FIFA [[opinion poll|poll]] conducted on the [[Internet]], garnering 53.6% of the votes. Then, in an unannounced move, FIFA appointed a "Football Family" committee, which voted to elect [[Pelé]] alongside the Argentine. Maradona cried foul and left the awards ceremony as soon as his prize was awarded. <ref name="SI"/>
In 2001, the [[Argentine Football Association]] asked FIFA for authorization to [[Retired numbers in football (soccer)|retire]] the [[jersey number]] 10 as an homage to Maradona. FIFA did not grant the request, even though Argentine officials have maintained that FIFA hinted that it would.
Maradona has won other polls, including a 2002 FIFA poll in which his second goal against England was chosen as the [[Goal of the Century|best goal ever scored in a World Cup]]; he also won the most votes in a poll to determine the All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.
On [[22 June]] [[2005]], it was announced that Maradona would return to [[Boca Juniors]] as a sports vice president in charge of managing the First Division roster (after a disastrous [[2004-2005 in Argentine football|2004–05]] season, which coincided with Boca's centenary) <ref>[http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/story?id=349221 'El Diez emprende dos nuevos desafíos', ''ESPN Deportes''] ([[July 28]] [[2005]]). Retrieved [[August 17]] [[2005]]</ref>. His contract began [[1 August]] [[2005]], and one of his first recommendations proved to be very effective: he was the one who decided to hire [[Alfio Basile]] as the new coach. With Maradona staying very close to the players, Boca went on to win the 2005 [[Apertura]] title, the 2006 [[Clausura]] title, the [[Copa Sudamericana]] and the [[Recopa]]. As of 2006, Maradona remains aloof of day-to-day activities and is seen mostly on game days, cheering from his private box in the ''Bombonera''.
On [[15 August]] [[2005]], Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, ''[[La Noche del 10]]'' ("The Night of the no. 10"). His main guest on opening night was Pelé; the two had a friendly chat, showing no signs of past differences. In subsequent evenings, he led the ratings on all occasions but one. Most guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business, including Zidane, Ronaldo <ref>[http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-maradonatv&prov=reuters&type=lgns Reuters/Yahoo! - "Zidane, Ronaldo to appear on Maradona TV show"] ([[August 19]] [[2005]]). Retrieved [[August 20]] [[2005]]</ref> and [[Hernan Crespo]], but also included interviews with other notable persons such as [[Fidel Castro]] and [[Mike Tyson]].
== Personal life ==
Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on [[November 7]], [[1989]] in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (b. 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (b. 1989). In his autobiography, Maradona admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.
Diego and Claudia [[divorce]]d in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. Diego and Claudia traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005 <ref>[http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/story?id=334497 ESPN Deportes - "Llega en son de paz"] Last retrieved [[May 19]] [[2006]]</ref> and were seen together in many other occasions.
During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of [[Diego Sinagra]] (b. [[Naples]], 1986), as was claimed by the youth's mother Cristiana Sinagra. (The Italian courts had so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo [[DNA]] tests for proving or disproving his paternity.) Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after tricking his way onto a golf course in Naples where Maradona was playing. <ref>[http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/story?id=334523 ESPN Deportes - "El amor al ídolo"] Last retrieved [[May 19]] [[2006]]</ref>
After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theater producer, and Dalma is seeking an acting career; she has expressed her desire to attend the [[Actor's Studio]] in [[Los Angeles]].
<ref>[http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/06/03/espectaculos/c-00811.htm Clarin.com - "Había una vez... un elenco para la selección"] Last retrieved [[May 19]] [[2006]]</ref> <ref>[http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/06/19/sociedad/s-998340.htm Clarin.com - "Dalma Maradona: diario de una princesa"] Last retrieved [[May 19]] [[2006]]</ref>
His maternal grandmother Salvadora Cariolichi is of [[Croatia]]n descent, her father Mateo Kariolic emigrated from [[Korcula]] in the end of the 19th century. Dalma, his daughter is named afther the [[Croatia]]n province of [[Dalmatia]], in which [[Korcula]] is located.
== Health situation ==
In marked contrast to the athleticism he showed during his years as a football player, Maradona has had a series of health problems since retirement.
Since the 1990s, Maradona has been battling a [[cocaine]] [[Drug addiction|addiction]], which included spells in [[Switzerland|Swiss]] and Cuban [[Drug rehabilitation|detox clinics]]. Between 2002 and 2005, Maradona spent most of this time in Cuba.
On [[April 18]] [[2004]], doctors reported that Maradona had suffered a major [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] following a cocaine overdose; he was admitted to intensive care in a Buenos Aires hospital. Scores of fans gathered around the clinic. Days after the heart attack, a nurse was caught taking photos of Maradona with a [[mobile phone]] and was promptly fired by the hospital managers.
After he showed improvement, Maradona was taken off the respirator on [[April 23]] and remained in intensive care for several days before being discharged on [[April 29]]. He returned to Cuba in May.
Maradona has always had a tendency to put on weight, and has displayed a remarkable level of [[obesity]] since the late 1990s. On [[March 6]] [[2005]], it was announced that Maradona underwent [[gastric bypass surgery]] in a clinic in [[Cartagena de Indias]], [[Colombia]]. When Maradona resumed public appearances shortly thereafter, he displayed a notably thinner figure.
== Political views ==
In later years, Maradona has shown sympathy to [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] ideologies. He became friends with [[Fidel Castro]] while in treatment in [[Cuba]], and has a [[tattoo]] of [[Ernesto Guevara|Ernesto ''Che'' Guevara]] on his right arm. He has declared his opposition to [[imperialism]], notably during the [[2005]] [[Mar del Plata Summit of the Americas|Summit of the Americas]] in [[Mar del Plata]], Argentina, where he protested [[George W. Bush]]'s presence in Argentina, wearing a ''Stop Bush'' T-shirt. On the other hand, he supported the presidence of neo-liberalist Carlos Menem in Argentina during the nineties.
== Reputation ==
Ever since 1986, it is common for Argentines abroad to hear Maradona's name as a token of recognition, even in remote places. In Argentina, Maradona is often talked about in terms reserved for legends. In the Argentine film ''El Hijo de la Novia'' ("The bride's son"), an actor who plays a fake [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[Priest#Catholic and Orthodox|priest]] says to a bar patron: "they idolized him and then crucified him". When scolded by a friend for taking the prank too far, the fake priest retorts: "But I was talking about Maradona".
In Buenos Aires, fans organized the "[[Iglesia Maradoniana|Church of Maradona]]." Maradona's 43rd birthday in 2003 marked the start of the Year 43 D.D. - "despues 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 [[air rifle|compressed-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. <!--Es un personaje al que mucha gente quiere imitar, un personaje polémico, amado, odiado, que provoca gran convulsión social, sobre todo en Argentina... El error está en poner el acento sobre su vida privada. Maradona es incomparable dentro de un campo de juego, pero también ha convertido en espectáculo su vida y ahora está viviendo un drama personal que conviene no imitar.--><ref>[http://www.el-mundo.es/larevista/num103/textos/valdano1.html Interview with Jorge Valdano] Last retrieved [[May 19]] [[2006]]</ref>
A columnist for the sports daily ''Olé'' welcomed Maradona's hosting a TV show in 2005, noting that "for the first time, he seems to have found his place in the world outside the football pitch".
In May 2006, Maradona agreed to take part in UK's Soccer Aid (a program to raise money for childrens charity Unicef). Maradona still remained to have great skill on the ball and even scored a penalty<ref>"[http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060528/1/6y4e.html ''Maradona scores but England win UNICEF match'']", Yahoo-FIFA</ref>. However, after the program was aired it was made public that Maradona received 10 times more money than most of the other participants.<ref>"[http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/entertainment/Football+legend+Diego+Maradona+is+to+take+part+in++Soccer+Aid+-18031.html ''Football legend Diego Maradona is to take part in 'Soccer Aid' '']" - FemaleFirst</ref>
== Career statistics ==
=== International ===
* 1977–1994 Argentina (91 appearances, 34 goals)
* 21 appearances in four [[Football World Cup|FIFA World Cup]] Championships (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
* {{nft|Argentina}} second-highest goal-scorer (held the record until surpassed by [[Gabriel Batistuta]])
=== Club honours ===
* 1981 [[Primera División Argentina|Argentine league]] (Boca Juniors)
* 1983 [[Copa del Rey]] (FC Barcelona)
* 1987 [[Serie A|Italian league]] (SSC Napoli)
* 1987 [[Coppa Italia|Italian Cup]] (SSC Napoli)
* 1988 [[Serie A|Italian]] top-scorer (SSC Napoli)
* 1989 [[UEFA Cup]] (SSC Napoli)
* 1990 [[Serie A|Italian league]] (SSC Napoli)
* 1991 [[Supercoppa Italiana|Italian Super Cup]] (SSC Napoli)
=== International honours ===
* 1979 FIFA [[Football World Youth Championship|World Youth Championship]]
* 1986 FIFA [[Football World Cup|World Cup]] winner
* 1990 FIFA World Cup runner-up
* 1993 Copa Artemio Franchi
=== Coaching career ===
* 1994 Mandiyú de Corrientes
* 1995 Racing Club de Avellaneda
* 2005 Boca Juniors (Football vice-president)
2006
=== Individual honours ===
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:6maradona.jpg|thumb|right|Diego Maradona]] -->
* 1979–1981, 1986 Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year
* 1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992 South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas)
* 1986 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year
* 1986 Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup
* 1986 European Footballer of the Year (France Football)
* 1986–1987 Best Footballer in the World (Onze)
* 1986 World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine)
* 1996 Golden Ball for services to football (France Football)
* 1999 Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century
* 2000 "FIFA best football player of the century", people's choice.
* 2002 "FIFA [[Goal of the Century]]" (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal)
* 2005 [[Argentine Senate]] ''"Domingo Faustino Sarmiento"'' recognition for lifetime achievement.
{{S-start}}
{{succession box|title=[[South American Footballer of the Year]]|before=[[Mario Kempes]] |after=retained |years=1979}}
{{succession box|title=[[South American Footballer of the Year]]|before=current holder |after=[[Zico]] |years=1980}}
{{succession box|title=[[World Soccer Awards#Player of the Year|Player of the Year]]|before=[[Michel Platini]] |after=[[Ruud Gullit]] |years=1986}}
{{succession box |title=[[FIFA World Cup]]<br />winning [[captain (football)|captain]] |
before=[[Dino Zoff]]<br />[[Italy national football team|(Italy)]] |
after=[[Lothar Matthäus]]<br />[[Germany national football team|(West Germany)]]|
years='''[[Football World Cup 1986|1986]]'''}}
{{S-end}}
== References ==
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