MARADONA IN THE HANDS OF GOD
ARGENTINA’S FOOTBALL LEGEND DIES AGED 60
TRIBUTES poured in last night for football legend Diego Maradona after it was announced he had died from a heart attack at the age of 60.
Among those paying their respects to the Argentinian – whose life was marked by glory on the pitch and controversy off it – was Gary Lineker.
The Match of the Day host played for England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal when Maradona scored his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal. He said: ‘By some distance, the best player of my generation and arguably the greatest
of all time. After a blessed but troubled life, hopefully he’ll finally find some comfort in the hands of God.’
Pele said: ‘What sad news. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend. One day, I hope we can play ball together in the sky.’ Maradona had surgery on a blood clot on his brain in his home city of Buenos Aires earlier this month. He was due to be treated for alcohol addiction.
Argentina’s president Alberto Fernandez yesterday announced three days of national mourning.
Maradona was born in a Buenos Aires slum on October 30, 1960. He played in four World Cups and set a world transfer record when he joined Barcelona for £5million in 1982. But his life was marred by controversy. In 1991, he tested positive for cocaine at Napoli. He also failed a drugs test at the 1994 World Cup.
Following a spell in intensive care in 2004, Maradona – who died exactly 15 years after his ‘inspiration’ George Best – told a newspaper: ‘When God decides it’s time, I guess he’ll come...’