directorykmfk.blogg.se

In the nineteen-eighties, when I was in middle school, Maradona had been my idol, but, by the time of the testimonial match, I admit that I’d lost sight of his career. Even for those of us who knew the broad outlines of Maradona’s fall from grace, it was shocking. Each time the ball hit the back of the net, Higuita and Maradona locked in an embrace.įor casual fans, it made for uncomfortable viewing. He scored two goals that day, both penalties against René Higuita, the former goalkeeper for the Colombian national team, who obliged his old friend by jumping out of the way. The opposing players indulged him, stepping aside as he lumbered by. In his prime, Maradona could flit past defenders with sublime ease, but now, at forty-one, he was overweight, with bad knees and bad ankles, and had been fighting drug addiction for nearly two decades. Maradona’s testimonial was an all-star affair, with luminaries like Hristo Stoichkov and Eric Cantona, befitting a player who was once regarded as the best in the world. For those unacquainted with the tradition, testimonials are tribute games, played for adoring, nostalgic fans, in which friends of the honored player jog leisurely around the pitch, allowing him one more moment of glory. On November 10, 2001, Diego Armando Maradona played his final testimonial match, in Buenos Aires.