Diego Maradona

[Ealing Bee]

'On 24 September 1983, Andoni Goikoetxea achieved notoriety for a foul on Diego Maradona described as "one of the most brutal fouls ever delivered in the history of Spanish football" in a league match at the Camp Nou, taking out the Argentine from behind and breaking his ankle. Maradona compared the sound he heard to that of wood breaking and, in the aftermath, English journalist Edward Owen coined the phrase "Butcher of Bilbao" to describe Goikotxea, a nickname which remained attached to him for the rest of his career. Maradona's compatriot Cesar Luis Menotti, who was the coach of FC Barcelona at the time, accused the Spaniard of "belonging to a 'race of anti-footballers'" and called for a lifelong ban; he was served a ten-match ban by the Royal Spanish Football Federation and it was later reported he kept "the boot he had used to destroy...(Maradona's) ankle ligaments" at home in a glass case.'

If that last bit is true, then he really was a scumbag. Meanwhile, here's the tackle:

 

[horshambees]

The complete forward and a 3x World Cup winner. His Wiki entry is ridiculous, in a good way, but back to Maradona....

Garrincha was top draw when Brazil won the 62 World Cup with some excellent performances.
Totally unplayable in some games.
Pele played 1 and a bit games in Chile.
Pele was a good player, but was also marketed very well indeed.
I think he had a good world cup in 1970,but Rivelinho, Jairzinho and the master of the ball Gerson were the engines of that side.
That team would have won the Trophy without Pele just as it did in 1962.

Anyway back to Diego Maradona.

 

[horshambees]

A genius of a footballer.

You cannot compare players from different eras. Everyone will have their own take on who is the best. However, Maradona is definitely one of the best that ever played the game.

Maradona
Messi
Best
Pele
Cruyff
Ronaldo (Brazil)
Ronaldo (Portugal)
Muller G
Charlton B
Moore
Beckenbauer
Maldini
Eusebio
Di Stefano
Puskas
Garrincha
Buffon
Banks
Zidane
Platini

Plus many many more!! All geniuses from their own particular generation.

Where's Jimmy Johnstone?

 

[AB]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1332316293643563009

Modern refereeing would have seen two or three red cards for England players.

 

[wanderer paul]

Where's Jimmy Johnstone?

As I said, “plus many many more.”

People will have their own lists and their own favourites.

 

[ruislip bee]

Lineker but incredible defending more than a miss

Not a miss just incredible defending. Was at a BBQ at one of my best friends from school. All of the gang were there in Cox Green by Maidenhead. Will always remember it. We all thought someone should have chopped him down for the second!

 

[Billy Hunt]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1332316293643563009

Modern refereeing would have seen two or three red cards for England players.

...and CCTV would've helped catch Jack the Ripper

 

[Andrelux]

Garrincha was top draw when Brazil won the 62 World Cup with some excellent performances.
Totally unplayable in some games.
Pele played 1 and a bit games in Chile.
Pele was a good player, but was also marketed very well indeed.
I think he had a good world cup in 1970,but Rivelinho, Jairzinho and the master of the ball Gerson were the engines of that side.
That team would have won the Trophy without Pele just as it did in 1962.

Anyway back to Diego Maradona.

Garrincha was top drawer when Brazil won the 62 World Cup with some excellent performances.

"Pele played 1 and a bit games in Chile."

'cos he was crocked. He was crocked because he was targeted as their best player. Brazil still won, despite being without their best player.

I've watched both Pelé and Maradona. I know who I'd like in my side. Although, obviously, I'd take both.

 

[hairman]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1332316293643563009

Modern refereeing would have seen two or three red cards for England players.

Looking at that, no wonder he felt the 'Hand of God' was reasonable.

 

[hanworthbee]

Exactly he probably felt aggrieved with all the heavy handedness we handed out and all the others.the Spanish defended should be ashamed of himself

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

My top 5

Ronaldo
Messi
Maradona
Pele
Best

 

[thickobee]

Minutes silence for that ****.
Disgraceful!

 

[wibs]

Watching it at the time I thought it was Terry Fenwick the England player that scored the 2nd goal. The picture quality wasnt good enough for me to see who got the final touch. But everybody said it was Maradona”s wonder goal so I assumed I was wrong.

you were, not least because youre thinking of Terry Butcher

 

[horshambees]

As I said, “plus many many more.”

People will have their own lists and their own favourites.

Tbh I think it nigh on impossible to combine a list that everyone can agree on.

 

[horshambees]

Garrincha was top drawer when Brazil won the 62 World Cup with some excellent performances.

"Pele played 1 and a bit games in Chile."

'cos he was crocked. He was crocked because he was targeted as their best player. Brazil still won, despite being without their best player.

I've watched both Pelé and Maradona. I know who I'd like in my side. Although, obviously, I'd take both.

Pele tore a thigh muscle in the first half of the group match vs Czechoslovakia.
He wasn't targeted by the Czech team.
Vava, Didi, Garrincha, Santos, Amarilo were all seasoned pros and the heart beat of the team throughout the tournament.
Brazil were never a one man team and would have won what they did without Pele in the side.Such was their strength and superioty.
Argentina in 86 on the other hand.
That was a one man show.

Look, Pele was good. He also played in the finest team assembled (1970) and the 1958 team was exceptional too.
Brazil would have won those competitions without him such was their strength.
Gerson was the man who pulled the strings in Mexico and he deserves much more credit.
And the person who should give him that is Pele himself who sadly doesn't.

 

[Simon W]

As to the worlds greatest players ever, I personally can’t look any further than Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo. Their scoring record for club and country is incredible and to me that’s what football is all about.

 

[grutter]

As to the worlds greatest players ever, I personally can’t look any further than Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo. Their scoring record for club and country is incredible and to me that’s what football is all about.

In the modern era, yes. I would like to see how they would have fared when players were allowed to tackle a bit more 'robustly'.

 

[JCMcBee]

...this just taken from BBC Website.....nice pension pot....

One interested observer today at the City Ground is ex-Forest midfielder Steve Hodge.

He's been in the news this week as he swapped shirts with Maradona after the 1986 World Cup game hardly anyone talks about or remembers.

That shirt is worth somewhere between £500,000 and £2m now, so I would imagine he is probably quite glad to own it.

 

[SydneySwansBee]

...swapped shirts with Maradona after the 1986 World Cup game hardly anyone talks about or remembers.

That shirt is worth somewhere between £500,000 and £2m now, so I would imagine he is probably quite glad to own it.

A big news item in New Zealand was that All White Wynton Rufer swapped his shirt with Maradona after a game but no mention was made of the shirt's potential worth.

 

[Wooburn Bee]

Hopefully John Barnes will score that header this time.

Wasn’t it linekar form Barnes cross? Would have been two goals in similar fashion and of Barnes had been brought on earlier we would have turned round that game he had them on toast from memory

 

[Holysmit]

My top 5

Ronaldo
Messi
Maradona
Pele
Best

All very good players but I can't help but feel that Dirk Hebel is hard done by.

 

[ruislip bee]

Wasn’t it linekar form Barnes cross? Would have been two goals in similar fashion and of Barnes had been brought on earlier we would have turned round that game he had them on toast from memory

Correct. Superb bit of defending to keep out Linekar's header. It looked a certain goal.

 

[mhead bee]

Wasn’t it linekar form Barnes cross? Would have been two goals in similar fashion and of Barnes had been brought on earlier we would have turned round that game he had them on toast from memory

We had a good 2-3 mins when Barns came on and nearly got 2 in 2 mins,the reality is then Argentina would have gone up a gear and we would have lost on pens.

 

[Guildford Bee]

It definitely wasn't an own goal. Butcher himself has said he didn't get a touch despite having liked to have been able to claim that he did.

I've never really had a strong opinion either way on Maradona, THB. The starting point my football life was Italia 90 so 86 had little impact on me. He was obviously a brilliant player and interesting personality who turned into a tragic figure. I doubt there'll ever be another one like him.

I thought the minute's silence was a bit daft, TBH.

 

[mhead bee]

It definitely wasn't an own goal. Butcher himself has said he didn't get a touch despite having liked to have been able to claim that he did.

I've never really had a strong opinion either way on Maradona, THB. The starting point my football life was Italia 90 so 86 had little impact on me. He was obviously a brilliant player and interesting personality who turned into a tragic figure. I doubt there'll ever be another one like him.

I thought the minute's silence was a bit daft, TBH.

Would you expect a minutes silence if Pele died?

DM is considered by many to be the best ever, better than Pele, even the Brazilians don't consider Pele to be the best Brazilian.

 

[Guildford Bee]

Would you expect a minutes silence if Pele died?

DM is considered by many to be the best ever, better than Pele, even the Brazilians don't consider Pele to be the best Brazilian.

I've not given it much thought, TBH. I suppose if we were the only country that didn't do a minute's silence it would've looked churlish.

 

[wibs]

3% of all fouls committed in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups were on Maradona.

103 times in 14 games, 62 more than any other player

Rather than be petty minded and focus on the hand of God, why not realise he was one of the most cheated AGAINST players.

This alone from the England match:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1332316293643563009

 

[Vid]

3% of all fouls committed in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups were on Maradona.

103 times in 14 games, 62 more than any other player

Rather than be petty minded and focus on the hand of God, why not realise he was one of the most cheated AGAINST players.

This alone from the England match:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1332316293643563009

There's a Youtube video about 30 minutes long just of fouls on Maradona.

 

[hanworthbee]

available to stream on channel four

Diego Maradona

(2019) Asif Kapadia's biographical film follows Diego Maradona as he joins Napoli in 1984

www.channel4.com

 

[lanzabee]

available to stream on channel four

Diego Maradona

(2019) Asif Kapadia's biographical film follows Diego Maradona as he joins Napoli in 1984

www.channel4.com

Brilliant viewing, one of the best football docs I've seen