The scale of the world reaction to the death of Diego Maradona illustrated the stature of a footballer who lifted himself from the depths of poverty in Buenos Aires to become one of the greatest to ever grace the global game. Battling the kind of problems that confront so many became synonymous with Maradona as a career that reached for the stars ultimately foundered. To find redemption in beating England on the way to claiming soccer’s greatest prize elevated Maradona to national hero status. The tens of thousands who queued for hours to pay their final respects before his burial is testament to that enduring fidelity. The sublime memories of Maradona’s majesty on the football pitch is what he should be remembered for, not his fall from the highest of pedestals.

Source: The Irish Times November 28, 2020 01:01 UTC