The Genius of Diego Maradona

Summary

The content reflects on the life and legacy of Diego Maradona, acknowledging him as a flawed genius and one of the greatest football players of all time.

Abstract

The article "The Genius of Diego Maradona" is a tribute to the late Argentine football legend. It discusses the complex nature of Maradona's life, recognizing his unparalleled skill on the football field and the global impact of his sporting prowess. The author expresses mixed emotions about Maradona's past transgressions but emphasizes that his death is a time to celebrate his contributions to football rather than dwell on the negative. Maradona's epitaph, expressing gratitude to football, encapsulates his lifelong dedication to the sport. The article highlights the 1986 World Cup match against England as a microcosm of Maradona's duality, showcasing both his controversial "Hand of God" goal and his spectacular "Goal of the Century." The author advocates for Maradona to be remembered for the positive aspects of his life and career, arguing that his good points outweigh his bad ones. Ultimately, Maradona is revered for bringing joy to millions and leaving an indelible mark on the world of football through his magical talent.

Opinions

The author initially had mixed feelings about Maradona but now focuses on his sporting genius.
Maradona's life was a blend of heroism and villainy, shaped by the pressures and temptations of stardom.
The author suggests that Maradona's epitaph should reflect his love for football, which

The best football player of all time.

Photograph by Jack Hunter on Unsplash

This morning my heart goes out to Argentina, in particular to the friends and family of one of its greatest heroes, Diego Maradona who sadly passed away yesterday, long before his time.

For a long time, like lots of people, I had very mixed feelings about Maradona. I rejoiced in his incredible art and at the same time disparaged and despaired at his falls from grace. But now is not the time to regale the negative aspects of his life. Rather it is a time to lament the passing of a sporting genius.

Due in a great part to his sporting prowess and the concomitant stresses and temptations of his meteoric rise to sporting stardom, Maradona was both hero and villain. And it is fair to say that both sides of his complex life have been more than adequately chronicled all around the world.

In one article I read Maradona stated that if he was to sum up his life for the purposes of creating an epitaph it would simply be "Thank you to the football." And that, in a nutshell, said it all about how his entire life revolved around the relationship he had with that spherical object with which he enchanted each and every one of us who has ever kicked a ball in a pair of baggy shorts and T-shirt.

Probably the one match which perfectly encapsulated the life of Maradona was the game between England and Argentina in 1986. One minute he was ilegally hand balling the ball over goalkeeper Peter Shilton's head into the net, the next he was mesmerising the entire world with what has been justly called the goal of the century.

Let us just savour for a moment that second goal, which by the way proved that Argentina would have beaten England regardless of that first illegal goal. Maradona picked the ball up and ran with it like it was tied to his boots. He left five England players trailing in his wake as he single-mindedly darted through a melee of legs, and released the ball with incredible timing and precision to place it squarely in the England net.

At the end of the day I like to think that if anything, Maradona is remembered for that second goal. And that goes for his entire life, that Maradona is remembered for all the good stuff and none of the not so good things.

Of course, just like everybody else, he made some questionable life and sporting decisions. But hey, who hasn't got to sixty years of age without making a few ill advised moves? Would you want to be remembered for all of the crap decisions or bad moves you made during your whole lifetime? No, I thought not.

Let's put things into perspective. Maradona was a very gifted, talented and highly competitive footballer. More than that, he brought an enormous amount of joy to the world of football, to his fellow countrymen, to the clubs and teams he played for, to his very close family and friends. At the end of the day he was a human being, just like you and me, whose good points by far outweighed his bad ones. Yes he was a flawed genius, but that is how it generally goes with sporting heroes.

Above all, Maradona was a son, a brother, a father and a friend. And in that much at least he had a lot in common with the rest of us. However, what made him stand out from the crowd, what made him special, was the magic he weaved with a football. And for that we have to be truly thankful that he ever existed.

Diego Maradona, thank you for gracing our lives with your amazing abilities and the sheer joy of watching you're spellbinding moves as you played the game with all of your physical prowess, your heart and your spirit, not to mention your love for the beautiful game. God may you rest in peace.