In October 1995, I was in Argentina studying some chapters of the book. During the five weeks of my current study of Maradona, I attracted much more intense attention from the local press than when I was a journalist in Buenos Aires for 5 and a half years.
During his time at Boca, he helped the team beat River Plate
During my more than 5 years of journalistic career in Buenos Aires, I covered wars, government changes, and debt crises, and my fellow journalists followed me from the Bonbonella Stadium to the old-fashioned camp on the Corrientes River where Maradona's father was born, asking to talk to me. This, as I needed, reminded me of the important role Maradona had played in the collective of Argentina.
After a brief stint, Maradona chose Boca Juniors as the final stop of his playing career
After returning to Buenos Aires, I was invited to the highest-rated talk show in Argentina for the first time. It was a special show that Suzanne had made specifically for Maradona. The tv show's host, Suzanne Jimenez, belongs to both old-fashioned Argentina and new-Argentines. Suzanne Jimenez used to be a young actress. Her love story with boxing champion Carlos Monsson once filled the gossip column of an Argentine newspaper. However, Jimenez was fortunate to be able to escape his love affair with Monzon alive. Monzon found it difficult to distinguish his woman from his boxing practice opponents, and after a storm ended, tragedy struck. After a fight, Monzon pushed Jimenez's replacement off the balcony.
Later, Monsson was killed in a car crash while on parole from prison. At this time, Simenis was fighting for her career. When I met Simonis, she was a full 50 years old. She firmly identified her as Argentina's cutest character, sexy symbol and female host of a talk show. Jiménez had yellow-brown hair and was dressed extravagantly, much like the young Greta Garbo. Jimenez admits that she is the most living proof of plastic surgery wizards. She portrays herself as "an avant-garde grandmother— breasts filled in plastic and dressed in jeans."
Hollywood beauty Garbo
Like many of Maradona's entourage, Jimenez was a happy component of what President Menem called a new Argentina. In Argentina, going to a surgeon to take something and make up something from the body, liking Versace's shirt, is a status symbol. But Jimenez is not a slut, just as Maradona is not a fool. She developed her career in television, just as Maradona did on the Argentine football pitch. You can instinctively feel what most Argentines like and cherish.
At the entrance to The Studio in Jimenez, there is a swimming pool, filled with letters. In just one week, there were quite a few letters from fans. The show was one of several shows she dedicated to Maradona, in part because she admired Maradona as a man who dared to speak up, as much as she admired Monzon, and another reason to record the show for Maradona was to ensure that her show had high ratings.
I once watched clips from her early special shows for Maradona. In this special episode, she dresses like a female captain of a military band and leads a group of members of the Argentine presidential honor guard in front of Maradona, his wife and daughter. My presence on the show was a perfect opportunity. The moderators plan carefully to avoid any important arguments. Jimenez admitted playfully: "I would never say anything critical about Diego. Because, I want him back on my show! "Next week is Maradona's birthday, and Jimenez wants to do a birthday reception show.
Maradona showed Castro the tattoo on his calf
Other guests invited by Jimenez included Coppola, Argentine journalist Fernando Nimbro, former Argentine national team coach Carlos Bilaldo, Argentine television commentator Mariano Glendona and Oxford University's Argentine graduate student Istvá hône. In this show, Jimenez first asks Forebner to make an opening statement. This is because this set of programs can be directly related to Hübner. Hübner invited Maradona to give a presentation at Oxford University. Jimenez called the reporting event "the greatest academic honor ever given to an international sportsman". Of course, this statement is inaccurate.
Hübner said he had worked as a waiter in a restaurant in Buenos Aires. Maradona had stayed in this hotel. As soon as Hebner saw Maradona, he immediately developed a crush on Maradona and admired Maradona, and, as he grew older, his admiration for Maradona grew deeper. While studying at Oxford University, Hübner was very keen to get his idols to England.
Glendona continued on Hübner's topic that Maradona was the only Argentine who could never be inquired about by foreigners. Maradona, therefore, deserves to be invited into the temple of scholarly knowledge. Argentine nationals consider Glendona to be one of Argentina's most profound thinkers. Glendona is a former college professor who believes in "smart" TV shows. Toward the end of his speech on a television programme hosted by Jimenez, he reminded the audience not to forget the "godly" character of Maradona himself.
After retiring, Maradona's size quickly became blessed
Glendona said thoughtfully, "Maradona was born in a stable. Of course, this is not the case, and Maradona was not born in the stables like Jesus, but in a hospital named after Eva Perón.
Nimbro attended the show because he had earlier written a book about Maradona, much of which was made up. The book portrays Maradona's humiliation at the 1994 FIFA World Cup as the CIA's efforts to inject Maradona with illicit drugs. In his speech, Nimbro defended his conspiracy theory. He said Maradona was an innocent victim of a conspiracy by FIFA to get rid of him. Nimbro himself, however, admitted that there was little evidence to substantiate his inferences. But he knew that the conspiracy theory he had created had touched the hearts of many Argentines and had been able to get his books sold. More than a year after the World Cup, Nimbro remains confident, pouring out his conspiracy theories to live television viewers and millions of Argentines. The move itself shows how far Argentines are prepared to deceive themselves when it comes to Maradona.
Bilardo, who participated in the talk show, recalled how superb Maradona's football skills as a footballer were. Coppola then announced that his owner Maradona was feeling good about returning to Boca Juniors to play officially. In my turn to express my opinion, I caution that Maradona might face some kind of hostility if he went to England.
Maradona was awarded the title of 'Outstanding Motivator' by Oxford University
I said: "The Britons will ask Maradona about the use of drugs, the question of The Hand of God, although no one will forget maradona's second goal in the World Cup. ”
The British did do as I said. One evening, at a debate at the Oxford Union, Maradona's situation was summed up in a rare way. Coppola tried to spread the word to the outside world, and after years of incorrect treatment by the news media and official mechanisms, Maradona finally gained worldwide respect. It does not matter whether the title of Dr. Maradona is a fake or not, because the Orthodox Jewish Association that organized the lecture has no power to award Maradona the scholar's hat and scholar's robe. The important problem is that a paper scroll in recognition of Maradona is the most outstanding motivator for students to realize the Oxford Dream.
When Maradona kicks a golf ball from one foot to the other and holds a soccer ball very balanced overhead, an Oxford dream feels. The request was made by a student from oxford university. He once saw Maradona perform the skills of playing golf and top soccer while training for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Questions about the hand of God and the use of drugs were brushed aside by Maradona,with a combination of avoidance and humor. Maradona said: "It wasn't medicine that stopped me from competing. But I did make a mistake and accepted the fact that there are many powerful people in football who try to kill me, destroy me, but they can't do it. The reason they wanted to destroy me was that I made some remarks that they didn't like to hear. ”
Maradona speaks at Oxford University
So, to the hand of God, did Diego make any apologies and any expressions of regret? Maradona grabbed a plastic arm given to him by a student and smiled like an angel. Maradona said: "At that time, this arm solved everything. "It seems that simple.
When Maradona made his "report," he was monotonous, as if he were reading a prepared speech, but not having enough time to read it beforehand. In fact, Maradona's report was written by Coppola and Bolotnikov, and the report that Maradona read to the audience contained a kind of philosophical coherence. And this kind of philosophical thinking, Maradona alone is incapable of expressing. As Maradona portrays in life, if the report is not downright dishonest, it is also an artificial trade-off.
Maradona said: "As a child, football brings me endless joy. However, I do not think that the person who brings this joy can be considered a person with an empty stomach or a simple mind. My mission is to bring this joy to the people. My only interest is playing football and feeling the noisy atmosphere in the stands. This unpredictable and mysterious process of change challenges all definitions. Big businesses don't like me at all. But, because it's part of the football career, I have to keep it in mind. ”
Oxford University called the visit "the most important meeting since the Queen's visit in the sixties".
At the end of the report, Maradona vaguely criticized FIFA and accused football of losing its purity in the face of ruthless capitalists. Maradona then presented his creed to the audience. The four noble truths of Diego Armando Maradona are: family, friendship, unity, justice. "Can a man expect more from God?"
Today, many people still believe that Diego Maradona is the world's greatest footballer. However, in 1997, maradona announced on his 37th birthday that he would retire from football.
Maradona, who has previously announced his "retirement" seven times in his most controversial sporting career, has only to make a comeback in full view. However, there are indications that Maradona may actually be retiring from football this time.
Argentines have a blind love for Maradona
In a televised address prepared for what he called his "most frustrating birthday", Maradona said: "For me, the career of a footballer is over. No one can be more frustrated about this than I am. Maradona told tv viewers he had promised his father a few months ago that he would retire from football if reports of his long-term use of drugs resurfaced.
Argentina's news media kept reporting that Maradona was playing lifelessly when he played against the Boca youth team on Sunday. After the game, Maradona did not pass the drug test. This is the second time in less than two months that Maradona has failed a drug test. However, a few days later, it was reported that Maradona had tested negative and had no problems.
Maradona was infected with the bad habit of taking drugs while playing for FC Barcelona from 1982 to 1985. As a drug-using athlete, Maradona is still able to play football for two reasons.
Two generations of Argentine champions collaborated in 2010
First of all, Maradona has extremely special characteristics of rapid physical recovery. This allowed Maradona to recover from injuries and the brink of self-destruction, creating the most amazing moment in the history of world football. Under normal circumstances, it's not because Maradona takes drugs to produce such amazing football techniques. A clear example of this is the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. At that time, Maradona brilliantly led Argentina to the World Cup. Meanwhile, Maradona used his infamous "Hand of God" in Argentina's match against England.
Secondly, Maradona spent most of his football career in his native Argentina. In Argentina, Maradona has a high reputation, and in fact he can be exempt from long-term sanctions. Whenever Maradona is at risk of losing his ugliness internationally, the Argentine football authorities and the Argentine government fully support the national hero.
In the 1990s, Maradona had a close relationship with president Carlos Menem's Argentine government, whose party always claimed loyalty to most of Argentina's fans.
Maradona announced hanging up her boots on her birthday
In 1994, after Maradona was expelled from the World Cup in the United States after being found to be taking illicit drugs, President Menem personally wrote to FIFA President Avylange, asking FIFA to treat Maradona leniently. Mr. Menem appreciates his own football skills. At the same time, whenever Maradona found that he himself had to go to court, the Argentine judiciary adopted a considerable leniency towards Maradona, which was also directly related to Mr. Menem.
In recent times, however, Maradona's status as a demigod has become increasingly unreliable in Argentina. Friends, club officials and doctors have broken the silence of the conspiracy and publicly stated that they are worried about Maradona's mental and physical health. If, as it turns out, each of Maradona's returns has been more sleepy than the last, his most recent return is actually somewhere between tragedy and farce. Maradona was ready to train with Ben Johnson, while the Canadian sprinter was stripped of his Olympic gold medal and world record for taking banned drugs at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Two athletes with drug testing problems train together
Shortly after Maradona played for Boca Juniors again, he tested positive again. This is simply a denial of the alleged accusations that someone has made of his conspiratorial activities. Now, even some of Maradona's supporters have a hard time taking seriously the accusations against Maradona.
Maradona's latest retirement decision comes after Menem's party suffered a crushing defeat in last week's midterm elections. The victorious coalition of opposition parties relied on the fight against corruption to gain votes. This situation has made the Mafia in Argentine football play a cold war in their hearts. This situation could mean that Maradona could expect far less protection in the future than it does now. What's less clear now is that if Maradona does quit football forever, what will he rely on to pass the time. As Cesar Mennotti, who used to be the head coach of the Argentine national football team, said: For Diego, no football is like a cowboy without his Corte 0.45 pistol.
After retiring, Maradona could only drag his blessed body and occasionally kick two feet
Between angels and demons
Uncover the unknown Maradona
This article is compiled from Jimmy Burns's book Hand of God: The Life of Maradona, which was published in 2010 and first published in 2018 as a game for fans to exchange and learn.