Diego Armando Maradona Franco, simply known as Diego Maradona, was a retired Argentinian football player who primarily played as an attacking midfielder. He also played for several clubs such as Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Boca Juniors, etc. to name a few. Considered one of the greatest players alongside Pele in the 20th century, he was instrumental in handing Argentina the 1986 FIFA World Cup trophy.
He most recently served as the chairman of the Belarusian football club, Dynamo Best, and also as the head coach of Argentine Primera División club Gimnasia de La Plata.
Diego Maradona holds Argentinian nationality. He was born in a low-income family to father Diego Maradona Chitoro, and mother Dalma Salvadora Franco Dona Tota, on 30 October 1960, in Lanus, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
While growing up, his childhood idols were Brazilian player Rivelino and Northern Irish football player George Best.
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Diego Maradona, during the time of his death, had a net worth estimated at $100,000 (£75,000). According to the Richest, his net worth in 2018 was also around $100,000, which is also an outcome of his managerial career. He was ordered by the Italian tax department to compensate more than $50 million as a tax from his time with Napoli. Police even took a pair of earrings worth £3,600 and two Rolex watches worth 10,000 euros to recover the tax.
Maradona owned a house in Argentina that was estimated to cost around $2 million and had a fine collection of cars like Porsche which has a market price of $30,000.
He made his club debut with the Argentinian football club, Argentinos Juniors on 20 October 1976 and scored his first goal against San Lorenzo on 14 November 1976 and later joined the fellow Argentinan club, Boca Junior in 1981.
Maradona made his debut for Boca Junior and scored his first Boca junior goal against Talleres de Cordoba on 22 February 1981. He later moved to Spain and signed with Barcelona for a then-record transfer fee of around $ 7.6 million.
Maradona was part of the successful Barcelona team that went on to win the Copa de La Liga in 1983. After a successful spell with Barcelona, he was transferred to Italian Serie A club Napoli for a transfer fee of $ 10.48 million in the summer of 1984.
After being caught with cocaine, he served one and a half year ban from Napoli; he left the club in 1992 and signed with the Spanish club named Sevilla FC. Later, he played with the Argentian club named Newell’s Old Boys and returned back to Boca Juniors in 1995.
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He made his international debut for Argentina against Hungary on 27 February 1977, in a friendly match after representing Argentina in FIFA World Youth Championship in 1979 in Japan. He scored his first international goal for Argentina against Scotland on 2 June 1979.
He went on to play for Argentina at FIFA World Cup 1982, 1986,1990, and 1994. Maradona was the captain of the Argentinian team that went on to win the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The highlight of the tournament came in the quarterfinal rounds against England when Argentina beat England, all thanks to Maradonna.
His first goal was a controversial one as it was considered a hand of God. His second goal was voted the greatest goal in FIFA World Cup history.
He also went on to win the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament.
Maradona retired from international football in 1994. He has made 91 appearances and scored 34 goals for Argentina.
Don't miss to read: Diego Maradona Makes Headlines in 2018 World Cup For Racist Gesture, Showing Finger, and Fainting In World Cup
He was a Roman Catholic and was married to his longtime girlfriend Claudia Villafane, in Buenos Aires, on 7 November 1984. The couple had two daughters together, Dalma Nerea ( born on 1987) and Gianinna Dinorah ( born on 1989).
The pair, however, divorced in 2004. Likewise, he is also claimed to have had a son, Diego Sinagra ( born on 1986), with an Italian woman named Cristina Sinagra.
There were reports that he was dating his girlfriend Rocio Oliva.
He has also been noted for cocaine addiction throughout his career, and post his retirement as well. His addiction started in 1983. It was later reported that he refrained from drinking and drug addiction in 2007 and had been sober ever since.
Maradona passed away due to cardiac arrest on November 25 at the age of 60. He recently had brain surgery after his 60th birthday and was released from the hospital on November 11. He had a cardiorespiratory arrest while recovering at his Buenos Aires home.
