The cliched comparison between madness and genius is an age old one but one has witnessed the personification of that in full display through the years in arguably the greatest footballer of all time.
Diego Armando Maradona.
None epitomised the contradiction between genius and madness more than the irrepressible Maradona, who lived upto the tag of a troubled genius throughout his illustrious and colourful career.
Coming from the poverty-stricken shanty of Villa Fiorito in the Buenos Aires suburbs, Maradona was a child prodigy bomb waiting to explode on the world stage. As he entertained and mesmerised his friends, fellow players and youth coaches in his boyhood years, international recognition beckoned.
Making his full international debut for Argentina at the age of 16 on February 27, 1977 against Hungary, Maradona began a career that would produce some of the greatest performances in the history of world football.
MEXICO 1986, MARADONA’S FINEST HOUR
After a mediocre 1982 World Cup in Spain, Maradona would arrive for Mexico 86 primed and prepared to unleash his true potential.
Talk about the 1986 World Cup and everyone and anyone would write reams about Argentina’s historic 2-1 quarterfinal win against England.
Despite the contentious first goal infamously known as the ‘Hand of God’, the second is Maradona’s madness in all its pomp and glory.
The Argentine superstar dribbled past five English players (Peter Beardsley, Steve Hodge, Peter Reid, Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick) after collecting the ball in his own half.
Swivelling initially before moving the ball upfield and dodging his way past Reid, Butcher and Fenwick, Maradona slots the ball in past a shell-shocked England goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
Those few magical seconds made an ever-lasting imprint on the hearts and minds of millions of football fans around the world ever since.
An entire generation of football fans would vouch that this was probably the greatest goal they had ever seen in a World Cup game.
It was widely acknowledged and the final recognition came when it was voted the ‘Goal of the Century’ in an online BBC poll in 2002.
Two more goals followed against Belgium in the semifinal after which West Germany were put to the sword.
In the final, Maradona delivered the final pass to Jorge Burruchaga who netted the winner in the 3-2 victory to gift Argentina its second World Cup victory after 1978.
The 1986 World Cup in Mexico was the finest hour of Maradona’s career and he was at the peak of his powers demolishing opponents at will.
During the event, Maradona attempted a tournament-best 90 dribbles, was fouled a record 53 times and assisted or scored in 10 of the 14 goals that Argentina scored in the tournament.
TRYST WITH DRUGS
For all his footballing exploits, the drugs phase really took a toll on Maradona’s health and it started to affect his performance on the field as well.
It is believed Maradona started his cocaine addiction in 1983 in Barcelona.
The Argentine star had to undergo medical treatments for his health issues like hepatitis and alcohol abuse up until 2007.
In January 2019, he underwent a surgery after a hernia caused internal bleeding in his stomach.
It is probably a tribute to Maradona’s legend that he achieved what he did despite the off-field troubles that plagued him.
November 25, 2020 will go down in history as the day when football lost its most romantic servant.
The one who enamoured his supporters and countrymen as effortlessly as he agonised and toyed with his opponents.
Maradona is an emotion that will live on eternally.
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