Maradona: blessed by 'the hand of God'

Diego Maradona

Surname: Maradona

Firstname: Diego

Country: Argentina

Date of birth: 30 October 1960

Birthplace: Buenos Aires

Height: 168 cm

Weight: 70.0 kg

Position: Midfielder

Clubs

Argentinos Juniors (1976-1980), Boca Juniors (1981-82), Barcelona (Spa/1982-84), Napoli (Ita/1984 - March 1991), Sevilla (Spa/Oct. 1992 - June 1993), Newell's Old Boys (Oct.-Nov. 1993), Boca Juniors (1995 - Oct. 97)

International appearances: 91 (1977-1994)

International goals: 34

International debut: 27/02/1977, Argentina-Hungary (5-1)

Last international appearance: 25/07/1994, Argentina-Nigeria (2-1)

First international goal: 02/06/1979, Scotland-Argentina (1-3)

Last international goal: 21/07/1994, Argentina-Greece (4-0)

Playing Career 

International

—World Cup: winner (1986), finalist (1990), second-round (1982, 1994), 21 matches, 8 goals, voted player of the tournament (1986)

Club 

-UEFA Cup (1989)

-Argentine Championship (1981)

-Spanish Cup (1983)

-Spanish League Cup (1983)

-Spanish Supercup (1983)

-Italian Championships (1987, 1990)

-Italian Cup (1987)

-Italian Supercup (1990)

Other honours 

-Under-20 World Cup (1979)

-FIFA player of the century (2000)

-South-American player of the year (1979, 1980, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992)

-Special 'career' Golden Ball awarded (1996) 

Coaching Career 

Clubs: Mandiyu de Corrientes (Oct.-Dec. 1994), Racing Club de Avellaneda (May-Sept. 1995), Vice-president of Boca Juniors and head of recruitment (June 2005-April 2008), Al Wasl (Dub/16/05/2011-10/07/2012)  

National Coaching Career

-Teams: Argentina (04/11/2008-27/07/2010), record: 24 matches, 18 wins, 0 draws, 6 defeats, 47 goals for, 27 against

National Coaching Honours

World Cup: quarter-finalist (2010)

Maradona forever

Considered by many fans as the greatest ever Diego Maradona inspired Argentina to the 1986 World Cup, but the flamboyant, often controversial legend fell short when coaching the side in 2010, albeit having a great deal of fun along the way.

As a player, he had few rivals and with the possible exception of Brazil's Pele, is still considered the game's greatest ever talent despite the arrival of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He was born in Buenos Aires into a poor family with eight children, his ball control as a child was so astonishing he earned the nickname Pibe de oro, the golden child.

He made his league debut at 16 with Argentinos Juniors and was called up for his first full international six months later. Two years later he won the South American player of the year award, switched for a season to Boca Juniors and was then recruited by Barcelona.

At his first World Cup in 1982 a shameful tackle (a deliberate chest high assault) saw him red-carded in a second round defeat to Brazil. At Barcelona his game was brilliant, but the Catalan club could only win the Spanish Cup. So in 1984 he joined modest Italian side Napoli, where he won two championships, the UEFA Cup and the undying love of the city, who have decided to rename their stadium after him when he dies.

Touched by the hand of God

At Mexico 1986 he was in inspired form even by his own standards, winning the player of the tournament award as he drove Argentina to their second World Cup, which will forever be remembered for two goals he scored against England in the quarter-final.

The first he clearly scored with his hand, a goal that has entered football folklore after Maradona claimed the ball was touched by "the hand of God".

The second was one of the World Cup's all-time great goals, weaving past five defenders before slotting the ball into an empty net.

He was almost as brilliant in the semi against Belgium, scoring twice with one goal another mesmerising run past defenders. He was double marked by Germany in the final but made the pass for the winning goal at the Aztec Stadium, which has since erected a statue to commemorate his one man mission that delivered the World Cup to Argentina.

Maradona was subdued by injury at Italia 1990 as he captained Argentina past Brazil, Yugoslavia and Italy in the knock-out phase before a heavily depleted Argentina lost 1-0 to West Germany in the final after a controversial penalty.

A positive test for cocaine landed him a 15 months ban from all football and the decline set in at that time that dimmed the lights of one of the greatest stars of the football firmament.

He captained Argentina again at the 1994 World Cup in the US, but a positive dope test for ephedrine then ended his international career on a very sad note indeed.

Drugs, decline, Cuba and a second chance

He joined Boca Juniors in 1995 after a brief spell at Seville in Spain, but failed another drug test which effectively ended his playing career.

He suffered heart attacks in 2000 and 2004 and put on a great deal of weight before moving to Havana for a lengthy drug cure on the invitation of his avuncular friend Fidel Castro.

After he launched his own chat show in Argentina in 2005, he remained on the outer fringe of the game before returning to the spotlight as coach of the national side in 2008.

Argentina's star-packed side however came unstuck against a tactically more astute Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup. It had been an emotional journey as ever, but it seems that this is one great player who won't make a great coach.