El
Pibe de Oro is no more. The Golden Boy was 60 years old when he took
his inimitable character to regions unknown, but even at that age he was
as young as he was in 1977 when, at just 16, he made his international
debut for Argentina, against Hungary.
Diego Armando Maradona. We
don’t have to say ‘remember that name!’ Simply, it is unforgettable and
not just for football fans. And for non-football reasons as well.
Nevertheless it was football that branded him and that’s where the
whistle ought to be blown to start things off.
He is considered
one of the greatest players of all time and has the rare distinction of
sharing the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award with that other
unforgettable, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé.
His
bio is out there for anyone interested in the deets, the awards, the
accolades, the uniqueness and of course the controversies. And the
moves, the incredible free kicks, field vision, creativity, ball
control, passing, dribbling, presence and leadership are all a few
clicks away. As text and visual.
His is a story. An epic of
sorts. And who best can give a nutshell version that the man dubbed
(among other distinguished descriptives) ‘Global soccer’s pre-eminent
man of letters,’the Uruguayan ‘Literary giant of the Latin American
left,’ Eduardo Germán María Hughes Galeano, who was interestingly born
just a month before the legendary Pelé.
Galeano’s ‘Football in
sun and shadow,’ considered one of the top 100 sports books of all time,
is a history of soccer which, according to The New Yorker ‘stands out
like Pelé on a field of second-stringers.’ ‘Stands out like Maradona,’
would also work.
‘No one can predict the devilish tricks this
inventor of surprises will dream up for the simple joy of throwing the
computers off track, tricks he never repeats. He's not quick, more like a
short-legged bull, but he carries the ball sewn to his foot and he's
got eyes all over his body. His acrobatics light up the field....In the
frigid soccer of the end of the century, which detests defeat and
forbids all fun, that man was one of the few who proved that fantasy can
be efficient.’
This is true. On and off the football field.
On and off football, too. The media outfit Redfishstream speaks of that
‘other side’ of Maradona which, arguably, was as key a heart-part as
football was thus in a short but pertinent note of appreciation:
‘Diego
Maradona, anti-imperialist, socialist and arguably the greatest
football player of all time passed away at the age of 60.
‘Maradona
was a leftist on the football fields and also in politics. As a
football player he tirelessly fought against corruption in the
International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), which he
compared to a mafia. He struggled to unionize football players and in
the late 90s, Maradona, with other prominent stars, formed the
International Association of Professional Football Players to defend
players' rights.
‘Maradona, also known as "El 10", openly showed
his support to left-wing, socialist and progressive movements and
governments in the world and specifically in Latin America. He also
openly defied imperialism and colonialism and was a firm supporter of
the Palestinian cause saying "in my heart I am Palestinian." and "I am a
defender of the Palestinian people, I respect them and sympathize with
them, I support Palestine without fear”.
‘He proudly wore a Che
Guevara tattoo on his arm and a Fidel Castro one on his leg. He was a
close friend and supporter of Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales and Fidel Castro
among other socialist leaders. He once said "I believe in Hugo Chávez. I
am Chavista. Everything that he and Fidel do, from my point of view, is
the best". As a socialist and anti-imperialist Maradona remained a
committed supporter of Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution and progressive
social movements across Latin America, never losing hope in the poor
and the oppressed to emancipate themselves.’
And here’s the defining quote that Redfishstream has picked:
"I
am from the left in the sense that I am (...) for the progress of my
country, to improve the life of poor people, so that we all have peace
and freedom." [...] "We cannot be bought, we are lefties on the feet, we
are lefties on the hands, and we are lefties on the mind. That has to
be known by the people, that we say the truth, that we want equality,
and that we don't want the Yankee flag planted on us.”
Redifshstream should have the last word: ‘Rest in power, Diego Armando Maradona!’
Other articles in the series titled 'The Interception' [published in 'The Morning']
Do you have a plan? Strengths and weaknesses It's all about partnerships
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