All Blacks offer their own tribute to Argentina’s footballing icon
Across the globe, teams paid tribute to Diego Maradona at the weekend with moments of silence before European football games and a touching gesture from the All Blacks .
The death of the Argentine great is still being felt in the days after he had a heart attack at the age of 60 outside Buenos Aires, where he had been recovering from a brain operation.
Manchester City and Burnley players and coaches stood and applauded as a video showed Maradona’s famous solo run and goal for Argentina against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup. The “Hand of God” goal was earlier in the game.
“This week, we lost a true footballing great. Diego Maradona was everything football should be: expressive, exciting, attacking and free,” City manager Pep Guardiola said in the matchday programme.
“A unique, once-in-a-generation player who brought joy to so many people,” he added. “Football will never forget Diego.”
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti struggled with his emotions. He made the sign of the cross and kissed his finger after a tribute before their match against Leeds. Ancelotti played against Maradona in Serie A and later went on to manage Napoli.
Maradona led Napoli to their only two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 and is considered an icon in the southern city.
In Spain, Atle´tico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was moved by the pre-match homage to Maradona, his former Argentina team-mate. “I believed it was important to say one final goodbye by applauding Simeone said.
At the 10th minute of each Italian Serie Amatch, an image of Maradona was projected, in honour of his jersey number.
Before their Tri Nations test against Argentina, New Zealand captain Sam Cane presented an All Blacks jersey with Maradona’s name and number 10.
As the All Blacks lined up to perform their haka, Cane walked toward midfield and laid down the jersey as the Argentina players stood arm-inarm and watched.
“It was a gesture, a token, of paying our respects to an Argentine legend, a world legend in his field as well,” Cane said after thematch, which New Zealand won 38-0.
Several Argentine players nodded in acknowledgment of the gesture.
— AP
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