Football is called the most Beautiful Game and its presiding deity, Diego Armando Maradona, has walked into the arms of God.
The sense of grief, agony and shock over Maradona passing away following a heart attack has touched millions of lives across the globe. It is not just the football fans or fanatics for whom Maradona was a religion who are now weeping.
In Argentina, where the maverick superstar was born, there is a three-day national mourning, so befitting the giant’s stature. He stood only five feet and five inches tall, but such was his mastery, with the left-foot having such grace, touch and deceit, it made life miserable for rival defenders and goalkeepers.
The rise of Maradona was phenomenal. Born on October 30, 1960, he led a difficult life. Poverty, being brought up in a ghetto type environment in a family of 10, nothing could take away his passion — football. From kicking the ball on the streets to striding like a giant, his rise to stardom is part of world football folklore.
Today, from legend Pele to another Argentinian who the world idolises — Lionel Messi — the tributes pouring for Maradona make your eyes moist. Here is a man, sorry, was a man who connected with the masses, though he never had admirers in England because of his Hand of God goal against them in the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final.
The then England goalkeeper Peter Shilton has still not forgiven Maradona for that goal, which became synonymous with controversy. It is sad that one single incident is still being recalled, as if that is the only thing about Maradona the world needs to know. His second goal, too, in that match was a classic, videos of which are all over social media.
So, was Maradona God or a champion who had been given an exaggerated and exalted status. For sports lovers at large and football lovers in particular, Maradona defined stardom. There was anger inside him as well as passion. There was that burning rage inside him to score and win matches, be it at the club level or for his nation. And, so, the 1986 World Cup became Maradona’s own World Cup.
Sample this, today from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kerala Chief Minister P. Vijayan, each one is mourning Maradona’s death. So, what is it that brought Maradona so close to people’s hearts? You can ask that question even to yourself as even today, people born after 2000 are aware of his exploits — good bad and ugly.
Was Maradona a role model or someone who defined bad things?
Well, that is a bit like asking if you love famous rock band stars for their lead guitarists or main drummer pouring out all their emotions on the big stage or hating them for doing drugs. In fact, Maradona also did that, though he was maligned and misunderstood.
People who deal with troubled childhood, poverty, have seen bad things in life, go on to do things which are not acceptable in society. Yes, Maradona did drugs, smoked cigars, boozed hard and partied like crazy. So, does that lessen his stature as football’s numero uno, the man who made the No.10 jersey so popular?
No, it does not. On field, Maradona was a marvel. He played in an era when football was a hard sport and goalkeepers could even decapitate strikers like Maradona. Much later, the Argentinian dynamite had to play with two shin guards to save himself from dangerous tackles.
Even after his active playing days, Maradona was an enigma. He did things which were supposed to be unacceptable. But people still loved him as the character called Maradona was real and not a fake. When Maradona was thrown out of the World Cup i 1994 for failing a dope test (ephedrine), he became a victim of pure vitriol.
For any athlete to use banned substances is unacceptable so there was more disgrace for Maradona. He faced flak but the worshippers of Maradona never dwindled. Perhaps, they were ready to forgive him repeatedly as he was such an adorable man.
When the legend came to Kolkata twice, he was still a rage. He had put on too much weight, looked far different than what one had seen on TV screens. As the football king, he had had girls falling for him. Yet, Maradona’s appeal never diminished despite his misdemeanours.
Call him flamboyant or a fraud, Maradona ‘s passion for the sport was such, he took on tough assignments like coaching. He was not the ideal man for it as his habits had become painful. Drugs, cocaine, drinks and partying, this was the opposite of what an icon-turned-coach was supposed to be.
He dealt with major health issues after abusing his own body. None dared to ask him why he was destructing himself, though anyone who has followed the lives of celebrities will vouch, post stardom, many have fallen from grace.
Recently, Maradona celebrated his 60th birthday, on October 30. Few would have imagined he was going to live for just a few more days. He had been in and out of hospitals several times. Yet, when Maradona had a heart attack in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, before the ambulances had arrived, his heart stopped beating.
The man who made billions of hearts beat and had their pulse racing is gone.
He leaves behind five children through wives and girlfriends, each grieving his departure. Sixty is no age for an athlete to depart and in a year where there have been any number of tragic deaths from Kobe Bryant to Sean Connery, Maradona leave a huge void. Fans say his legacy will live on.
Pele says he would probably go up one day and play football with his good friend Maradona. Such statements bring into focus the persona of a legend who does not deserve any kind of condemnation.
Debauch or divine, genius or junkie, whichever words you want to use and remember Diego Armando Mardona, remember one thing, there can never be another magician like him on the football field.