Maradona a genius on the field, a character off
Mexico City: On the soccer field, he was considered a genius. Outside, he was a character known practically everywhere, by everybody.
Diego Maradona, who died Wednesday of a heart attack at age 60, started his story as a player in the Villa Fiorito neighborhood in Buenos Aires, and over the decades he became a soccer great.
He debuted with Argentino Juniors and then jumped to the mythical Boca Juniors, where, in 1981 he got his first title as a professional soccer player. Then, it was off to Europe, and his legend began.
He won three titles with the Barcelona club, becoming a world soccer figure. But Maradona won a place as one of the all-time greats when he led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title in Mexico, where he scored one of the most storied goals in soccer history the "Hand of God" goal that helped defeat England in a quarterfinal match.
Pundits have debated about who was the best soccer player in history whether Maradona or Pele, the iconic Brazilian who retired in 1977 and is still alive. There has been no consensus.
Maradona and Pele had a very good relationship until the Argentine failed a doping test and was expelled from the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Pele criticized him and they parted ways until 2005 when they re-established a relationship.
Maradona retired in 1997, but he remained linked to soccer. He was Argentina's team coach.
Off the field, Maradona was an outspoken personality who leaned to leftist ideology. He was a good friend of Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban revolution, and was also close to the late Venezuelan President Hugo Ch Vez.
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“Mistake owing to communication gap,” MLA Yatnal clarifies over alleged derogatory speech on Prophet
Vijayapura: Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has denied making any derogatory statement about Prophet Muhammad, clarifying that there was a misstatement during his speech at a Ram Navami event in Hubballi. "I did not speak about Prophet Muhammad. I meant to refer to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, but there was a mistake in the speed of speech," he said addressing reporters on Monday.
He alleged that members of the Congress, frustrated by their hooliganism and failure to collect their hafta (extortion) in Vijayapura are using the Prophet as an excuse to speak against me. “There is no culture of denigrating another religion in Hinduism. Our gurus and elders have not taught us that,” he said.
Responding to another controversy involving an audio clip in which he was allegedly threatened, Yatnal said the police are investigating the matter and that those behind it will soon be exposed. “No one can finish me. The Hindus of Karnataka are with me. If someone tries to finish me, the whole state will rise in protest,” he warned.
