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Tag: MARADONA

  • Maradona died on 15th anniversary of George Best’s passing

    Maradona died on 15th anniversary of George Best’s passing

    Argentina great Diego Maradona who died on Wednesday, 15 years to the day since the passing of fellow football legend George Best.

    Maradona suffered a heart attack in Tigre, Buenos Aires, after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain earlier this month, according to the Clarin newspaper.

    He was just 60 years old, a year older than Best at his death on the same date, November 25, 15 years ago in 2005.

    The duo will forever be discussed and debated as, along with the likes of Pele and Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest to ever have played the game.

  • Diego Maradona to remain in hospital

    Diego Maradona to remain in hospital

    Argentine football legend, Diego Maradona, is to remain for at least one more day in hospital as he suffers from anemia and mild dehydration, his doctor said on Tuesday.

    “He’s doing better but we think he should stay for another day,’’ Dr Leibarzt Leopoldo Luque told television station TyC Sports.

    On Monday, the 1986 World Cup winner was admitted to the Ipensa hospital in La Plata, three days after his 60th birthday.

    “It was emotional, a slightly difficult week for him,’’ Luque said.

    “He was under big pressure. That hurt him mentally.’’

    Maradona was assisted by two helpers when he appeared at Friday’s match of Gimnasia y Esgrima, the team he coaches, to receive birthday wishes and presents.

  • Maradona admits Messi is best player today

    Maradona admits Messi is best player today

    Diego Maradona admits Lionel Messi is “the best football player today” and considers his fellow Argentine to be an “enormous” talent but is hoping to see the Barcelona superstar downed by Napoli.

    The first leg of an eagerly-anticipated Champions League last-16 encounter is due to be staged at Stadio San Paolo on Tuesday.

    That contest is set to see six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi step into the arena iconic countryman Maradona once called home.

    Much is being made of the Barcelona captain’s presence in Naples, with the 32-year-old following in some illustrious footsteps.

    Comparisons continue to be made between his remarkable career and that of World Cup winner Maradona, with there little to separate two all-time greats.

    Two men at the centre of a fierce debate have attempted to steer clear of being drawn into one regarding who can be considered the best.

    Both have the utmost respect for one another, with Maradona considering Messi to be “a very good boy”.

    He also told Il Mattino of the mercurial Barca star that he once managed while working as head coach of the Argentina national side: “He must continue his career and his life knowing that he is the best football player today.

    “I enjoyed watching Leo with Argentina in every game.”

  • Maradona snubs Messi, Pele, names greatest player ever

    Maradona snubs Messi, Pele, names greatest player ever

    Football legend, Diego Maradona has named Argentine legend, Alfredo Di Stefano as the greatest player ever in football history.

    Maradona, who is currently the manager of Gimnasia de La Plata, believes Di Stefano is superior to everyone including Brazil legend, Pele, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Juventus superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo.

    When asked to name the greatest player in football history, Maradona told AS Argentina: “I think the best was Di Stefano.

     

    He was superior to everyone, including me. Pele did not want to recognize Di Stefano.

    “Pele’s friends invented a trophy for him as the living legend of football. But even I have beaten him to become one of the best players in history.”

    Maradona added: “I think I’d have quite a few [Ballons d’Or]. But what Messi is doing is outstanding. I would never like to face Messi – not ever. The lad comes home, plays football, doesn’t sing the national anthem and they say he’s Catalan. I don’t criticize Messi [like some others do].”

    Di Stefano played for Real Madrid between 1953 and 1964.

    He scored 308 goals in 396 appearances for the Los Blancos and won two Ballon d’Or awards during his time at Santiago Bernabeu.

  • How Maradona changed my life for good – Niniola

    Niniola Apata, a Nigerian singer has said her hit song, ‘Maradona’, changed her life to be who she is today.

    The songwriter revealed this in an interview on VJ Adam’s Off -The-Top reality TV show.

    The Ondo-born musician attributed her success to God’s intervention. According to her, she did not know anybody in the Nigerian music industry. All she did was searched for names of successful producer and pick one of them to produce her first song titled Ibadi.

    She said: “Preparation meets opportunity, To be honest. It just happened”,

    “It’s the grace of God but as they say, when hard work and preparation meets opportunity, it just happens. After Project Fame, I just wanted to prove myself. I knew I could sing but I just wanted more. I loved to dance and wanted to incorporate these two things.

    “I didn’t know anybody in the industry. So, I went online in search for the best producer in Nigeria. This was in 2013. Sarz’s name kept coming up. I reached out to him and he requested that I give him a hit song. I dropped “Ibadi” and that’s how it happened.

    “One song changed my life. I just did the song Maradona and knew that, like every other ones, it was good. But when we dropped it, it went boom. People and artistes from South Africa started reaching out to me.”

    Niniola rose to recognition in 2013 after finishing third runner-up on the sixth season of MTN’s Project Fame West Africa.

    Upon the release of her breakthrough debut single “Ibadi”, Niniola was nominated in the “Most Promising Act to Watch” category at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

    Niniola who describes her style of music as “Afro-House”, a blend of afrobeat and house music is currently signed to Drumroll Records.

     

     

  • Messi goes to the toilet too much to be a leader – Maradona

    Messi goes to the toilet too much to be a leader – Maradona

    Argentina football legend, Diego Maradona has said Lionel Messi is not a good leader, accusing the fellow countryman of “going to the bathroom 20 times before a game”.
    The Barcelona talisman has been handed the captain’s armband by his country, but that role has been questioned by Maradona.
    At 31 years of age and having spent more than a decade as an elite performer in the global game, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is accustomed to shouldering pressure and expectation.
    He has, however, struggled with the burden of captaincy at times , despite having taken the armband for club and country in recent years.
    Maradona believes Messi is the wrong choice for Argentina as, while he is unquestionably their best player, he lacks the personal skills required to inspire those around him.
    The 1986 World Cup winner, who saw the Albiceleste struggle at Russia 2018 over the summer, told La Ultima Palabra Mexico : “Messi’s a great player, but he’s not a leader.
    “Before talking to the coach and players, he’ll play on the PlayStation. Then, on the field, he wants to be the leader. He’s the best in the world with Cristiano [Ronaldo].
    “For me, it’s difficult to say it but it’s useless to make a leader out of a man who goes to the bathroom 20 times before a game.
    “There’s no two ways about it. Let’s stop making a God out of Messi. Messi is just another player for Argentina.”
    Messi has not figured for his country since suffering a last-16 exit in his latest showing on a World Cup stage.
    He has ruled himself out of contention, with interim coach Lionel Scaloni being forced to call upon attacking alternatives.
    Argentina remain hopeful that an all-time great can be brought back into the fold , but Maradona believes less needs to be asked of him before a recall can be considered.
    He added: “I wouldn’t call him up right now, but never say never. We have to take the pressure off him.

  • Messi should stop playing for Argentina – Maradona

    Messi should stop playing for Argentina – Maradona

    Argentina legend Diego Maradona has told Lionel Messi to retire from international football for good.
    Messi was heavily criticised in his homeland after Argentina’s round of 16 exit – at the hands of eventual winners France – at this summer’s World Cup.
    The Barcelona star has since not featured for the Albiceleste, missing the friendlies with Guatemala and Colombia in September.
    And now Maradona has advised the 31-year-old to just walk away for good, leaving the mess that the national side has become behind.
    “What would I tell Messi? To not come back any more. To retire,” Maradona told Clarin.
    “The under-15s lose and it’s Messi’s fault. The fixture in Argentina puts Racing against Boca and Messi is to blame. It’s always his fault. Stop breaking my balls.
    “I would tell him: “Don’t go anymore, man”. Let’s see if they can handle that. Let’s see if they’re really big men.
    “I would have liked to see him tell us all to f*** off because he’s not to blame for us not being world champions.”
    Messi will miss the upcoming fixtures with Iraq and Brazil also, but new coach Lionel Scaloni continues to keep the No.10 shirt free.

  • Maradona sad after missing out of Argentine coaching job

    Maradona sad after missing out of Argentine coaching job

    Diego Maradona is disappointed for not getting the job of the Argentina senior male team, blaming the media for not featuring him among the favorites.

    The Argentina Football Association (AFA) have chosen Lionel Scaloni and Pablo Aimar to guide the team for the friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia in September.

    There is still a search for a permanent replacement for Jorge Sampaoli who was dismissed after the 2018 World Cup.

    Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino, Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone, River Plate’s Marcelo Gallardo, Jose Pekerman have been linked to the position.

    And Maradona in a post on Instagram said: “Regarding the Argentina national team, I want to say that it really bothers me that some journalists do not include me among the possible coaches.

    “For example, while I was having a [dental] operation, I listened to [Argentinian sports journalist Diego] Chavo Fucks and he did not even name me among the possible candidates.

    I remember his beginnings when I was still playing, and it seems that now he now does not value me.

    “And I lament that some Argentinian newspapers don’t take me into account but do speak of former national team coaches, yet not about me.

    “But hey, this is the sports journalism that we Argentinians have.”

  • Hamsik breaks Maradona record as Napoli beat Sampdoria

    Marek Hamsik broke Diego Maradona’s all-time scoring record for Napoli as they beat Sampdoria to remain top of Serie A.

    Napoli’s captain scored his 116th goal for the club, on his 465th appearance, to put them 3-2 ahead from close range towards the end of the first half.

    He equalled Maradona’s record last weekend in a 3-1 win over Torino, having failed to score in 13 games.

    Napoli are four points above champions Juventus, who host Roma at 19:45 GMT.

    Gaston Ramirez gave Samp an early lead, with Allan equalising. Fabio Quagliarella then restored Samp’s advantage with a penalty but Lorenzo Insigne equalised before Hamsik’s winner. The league leaders ended with 10 men as Mario Rui was sent off for two bookings.

    Mauro Icardi missed a penalty as Inter Milan remained third following a 1-0 defeat by Sassuolo – their second defeat in a row having not lost in the opening 16.

    Fifth-placed Napoli beat Crotone 4-0, with all the goals coming after the 56th minute.

    Benevento remain bottom, on one point, after a 1-0 defeat by Genoa – the fourth game they have lost this season to a goal in the 90th minute or later. Gianluca Lapadula scored an injury-time penalty.

    BBC Sports

  • Hamsik equals Maradona record as Napoli go top

    Marek Hamsik equalled Diego Maradona’s record as Napoli’s all-time top goalscorer as the Italian side beat Torino to go top of Serie A.

    The Slovakia midfielder scored his 115th goal for the club by sweeping home Dries Mertens’ pass for his side’s third.

    Kalidou Koulibaly headed in the opener for the visitors before Piotr Zielinski slotted in a second.

    Torino striker Andrea Belotti grabbed a second-half consolation for the hosts.

    The win moved Napoli above Inter Milan, who lost 3-1 to Udinese at the San Siro earlier on Saturday.

    Napoli are on 42 points, two ahead of Inter.