Argentina v Mexico: Diego Maradona madness and magic keeps audiences spellbound
Mad. Stark raving, wonderfully barking, utterly bonkers, mad. Not Diego Maradona, of course. Perish the thought. No, the whole ludicrous, barmy circus which envelops him.
Enjoying the attention: Diego Maradona keeps the audience enthralled with his antics
"You don't really have star coaches at the World Cup," he told about 400 people, mostly grown men, all packed into a room designed to hold about 100 here at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday.
"Now, Mourinho or Guardiola, yes, they are stars. But here at the World Cup, it's the players who make the difference." Oh, how we laughed. For the biggest star at this World Cup is a coach.Everyone knows it; Diego Armando himself knows it. Good grief, there were journalists camped in the little ticket-only interview room some 90 minutes before he was due to hold court. It felt like queuing at Wimbledon.And did he let us down? Of course not. He parked at the top table, badger-like with hair weirdly looking blacker and beard looking whiter, before spotting an old Italian mate in the throng, his former Napoli team-mate, TV pundit Salvatore Bagni.First, Maradona blew him a kiss, then leapt out of his chair, bounded over a barrier in front of the stage and started embracing the laughing Bagni while a scrum of elbowing snappers fought each other for another unmissable El Diego photo opportunity.
"Now, Mourinho or Guardiola, yes, they are stars. But here at the World Cup, it's the players who make the difference." Oh, how we laughed. For the biggest star at this World Cup is a coach.Everyone knows it; Diego Armando himself knows it. Good grief, there were journalists camped in the little ticket-only interview room some 90 minutes before he was due to hold court. It felt like queuing at Wimbledon.And did he let us down? Of course not. He parked at the top table, badger-like with hair weirdly looking blacker and beard looking whiter, before spotting an old Italian mate in the throng, his former Napoli team-mate, TV pundit Salvatore Bagni.First, Maradona blew him a kiss, then leapt out of his chair, bounded over a barrier in front of the stage and started embracing the laughing Bagni while a scrum of elbowing snappers fought each other for another unmissable El Diego photo opportunity.
Then, back to his seat, he was off, a human scattergun firing back wild, unexpected, colourful, occasionally bizarre answers. Sadly, no questions were permitted on the prospect of a quarter-final meeting with England, but if that match eventuates next Saturday, he will be prepared for the 'Hype of God'.
Maradona is so superstitious that, after holding all his eve-of-match press conferences at Loftus Versfeld, he is unhappy that the stadium closes forWorld Cup business after Tuesday and demands that Fifa keep it open specially for him on Friday. They would make a fortune if they sold tickets for it.
Take Saturday's half-hour. He railed about the "treason" of a former World-Cup winner for Argentina, accused big clubs who put 15 year-old kids on their books of stealing money and demanded that journalists apologise to his players. "Hmm, quite quiet today," an Argentine journalist noted drily.
As for his thoughts on today's last 16 meeting with Mexico at Johannesburg's Soccer City, Maradona effectively tried to pick Javier Aguirre's team for him, saying that he was sure Rafael Márquez would slot in at centre back because he did not look comfortable in midfield and that he hoped Guillermo Franco would not play because he was good in the air.
Telegraph:
Maradona is so superstitious that, after holding all his eve-of-match press conferences at Loftus Versfeld, he is unhappy that the stadium closes forWorld Cup business after Tuesday and demands that Fifa keep it open specially for him on Friday. They would make a fortune if they sold tickets for it.
Take Saturday's half-hour. He railed about the "treason" of a former World-Cup winner for Argentina, accused big clubs who put 15 year-old kids on their books of stealing money and demanded that journalists apologise to his players. "Hmm, quite quiet today," an Argentine journalist noted drily.
As for his thoughts on today's last 16 meeting with Mexico at Johannesburg's Soccer City, Maradona effectively tried to pick Javier Aguirre's team for him, saying that he was sure Rafael Márquez would slot in at centre back because he did not look comfortable in midfield and that he hoped Guillermo Franco would not play because he was good in the air.
Telegraph:
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