Diego Maradona, the Argentinian superstar, regarded by many pundits as the most skilled player to grace the football grounds in Latin America and Europe died on Wednesday at age 60.
According to Argentinian press reports Maradona died at his home following a heart attack.
He had successful surgery on a brain blood clot earlier in November and was to be treated for alcohol dependency.
In a statement on social media, the Argentine Football Association expressed “its deepest sorrow for the death of our legend”, adding: “You will always be in our hearts.”
Maradona played for Barcelona and Napoli during his club career, winning two Serie A titles with the Italian side.
He scored 34 goals in 91 appearances for Argentina, representing them in four World Cups.
Maradona’s vision, passing, ball control and dribbling skills were combined with his small stature (1.65 m or 5 ft 5 inches), which gave him a low center of gravity, allowing him to maneuver better than most other football players; he would often dribble past multiple opposing players on a run.
His presence and leadership on the field had a great effect on his team’s general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. In addition to his creative abilities, he also possessed an eye for goal and was known to be a free kick specialist.
A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname “El Pibe de Oro” (“The Golden Boy”), a name that stuck with him throughout his career.
Here is a brilliant goal he scored against Greece in the 1986 World Cup.
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