Diego Maradona documentary | Vital Football

Diego Maradona documentary

Buddha

Vital Football Hero
I'm really looking forward to seeing this film. It's made by the same bloke who did the Amy Winehouse and Ayrton Senna documentaries, both great films, especially 'Senna'.

Diego Maradona was, and still is, a bit of a hero of mine. A flawed genius (ain't they all?!) who I know splits opinions, particularly in this country, but even those who despise him for the 'cheating' and drug abuse cannot deny the absolute brilliance of that left foot of his!

Here is a trailer for the film:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2019/may/10/diego-maradona-documentary-
official-trailer-video

And then check this out, that left foot is still magic!
 
Can't disagree with you on that, however, I prefer to include longevity when judging a true world class player.
Unfortunately for him, Gazza, Best etc, dodgy life choices and poor decision making curtailed their careers which is why I list Cruyff and Pele then, from the recent era, Ronaldo and Messi in my all time greatest list. Just IMO obviously
 
Talking of the best player of all time ends with the names Pele and Maradona. A good case can be made for either but I think few English fans either know of or appreciate all Maradona's achievements. He did it consistently at club/s and country level and won silverware sometimes in fairly ordinary teams. Loathe him if you will but he was a football genius inspired with an insane competitive spirit and indomitable will.

To those championing Messi I will only say that Diego would have driven Argentina to world cup successes had he played with the players Messi has. Diego didn't play his entire career for one dominant club that protected him and built it's game around him. He travelled and succeeded against the odds. If you don't know his Napoli story then start here:

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...maradona-naples-napoli-fans-30-years-scudetto
 
I don't loathe him and am more than aware, as most of us will be, of his achievements. To suggest there are fans who don't , does him a disservice IMO. I agree, the man was a genius, especìally against us in the WC, but also a drug addict and general interference (He obviously has a problem with us as much as we do with him going by his bitter tirade when we knocked Columbia out of the WC)
Not, in my opinion, the memories I want of someone wishing to be considered as the world's greatest, one of them yes, but not THE greatest for me personally.
 
I know it's mostly due to bias but I can't bring myself to celebrate Maradona for the cheating way he turned England over in '86.
Yes, he hand balled it but to this day I still don't understand how or why Shilton [8" taller] didn't take the ball, his head or anything else in his path
 
I actually like the man Maradona but really moral rectitude is no measure of genius. Any number of artists, writers, sportspeople and whatever were and are deeply flawed human beings but that doesn't detract from their genius, or their achievements. Some really likeable footballers have been deeply ordinary. You cannot disqualify Diego because you don't like him, or disapprove of him. It's all about ability.
 
I never mentioned morality, just the man's inability to fulfil a full length career at the very height of his ability, as the four I mentioned above did
 
As long at the top as anyone Nobby, he started very young and never played lower down 495 appearnces and 259 club goals, 91 internationals and 34 goals. Goikoetxea had more to do with any reduction in his powers than any of his own behaviour. Messi and Ronaldo have never been subjected to that sort of tackling and a good thing too.
 
This thread's giving me deja vu all over again. I have memory of a discussion around "is it cheating if it's anti-imperialist working-class cheating?"

I think that's when it all started going bad for OSK.
 
This thread's giving me deja vu all over again. I have memory of a discussion around "is it cheating if it's anti-imperialist working-class cheating?"

I think that's when it all started going bad for OSK.

You'll start them all off again if you ain't careful ?
 
This thread's giving me deja vu all over again. I have memory of a discussion around "is it cheating if it's anti-imperialist working-class cheating?"

I think that's when it all started going bad for OSK.

Err, what now? What did I do?


Can’t believe Ashley Grimes name isn’t in this thread.
 
Some interesting replies, thanks everyone.

Jokerman, you're right, Maradona has been discussed on here before and I'm sure I've mentioned (more than once!) why I think his 'cheating' against England in 1986 was justifiable, and how in South American culture they have a completely different perspective to 'cheating' to that which we have in our culture.

I agree with Jo's comments in this thread and he was right to remind nobby that there was indeed longevity to Maradona's career (he played in four world cups, reaching two finals and winning one of them), and Jo was also correct to point to Goikeotxea as the key reason for his career being curtailed. Sure, his drug abuse cannot be denied but it must be remembered that he kicked the coke habit and got himself clean for the 1994 WC. Yes, he got thrown out of that WC for using drugs but that was actually just a technicality really. He was taking a supplement that his doctor had given him and it really wasn't Diego's fault, he wasn't intentionally cheating that time! Check it out if you don't believe me...

I think nobs comments about Cryuff/Pele contrasting with Maradona, Best and Gascoigne perhaps reveals more about both him and me than it does anything else. All those players were brilliant but I prefer the three who had 'problems' not the two who were 'squeaky clean'! Maybe I could put that better if I gave it some thought but hopefully you'll understand me without me bothering.

Wayne, I've also always wondered what the fck Shiltin was up to?! I suppose that it all must have just happened so quickly, and Shilts was so taken by surprise, that the ball was in the net before he had time to react in the way you suggest.

Whatever your opinion of Maradona the man, if you're a football fan you cannot help but admire his skill, talent and general footballing genius. As I said in the op, this film maker is good too. I reckon this film is gonna be good.

I heard the filmmaker (I must find out his name!) talking on the radio. He was saying how different it was making this film because unlike the previous two, the subject of this film ain't yet dead. He said that it took quite a while for Maradona to let him get close to him at first, and that even once he had he established a relationship, Maradona still wouldn't let him get too close. The point was made (and this is referenced in gat trailer) that there appeared to be two different characters. 'Diego' who is a likeable or even loveable, character, and 'Maradona', who was someone quite different; a kind of schizophrenic thing going on.

Anyway, I reckon we should all watch the film and have another discussion after that....
 
In the Wiki entry regarding the handball goal apparently Maradona later said, "I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came... I told them, 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'". Piss poor referee? Over a season, you win some you lose some but such an error in a knockout game can mean curtains and it did.
 
Not sure I’ll ever “forgive” Maradona for the hand ball. Doubt he cares about that tho. Also for claiming it to be “the hand of god”. What a load of shite. Although (And I never realised this until recently) he did apologise a few years later saying it was his hand that robbed England not gods hand. Go figure.

And his drug problems are not to be admired, although I think those sorts of issues can be illnesses rather than life options. Don’t know which it is in his case. Still lead him to do some bell-end type behaviour and outbursts.

Conversely -

I do admire his freakish skills as a footballer. He seemed to make any team he played for raise a level. Not sure Messi and even Ronaldo do that. They are just the stars in their teams. Maradona seemed to drag his teams with him.

I also admire his philanthropy. He supports many charities around poverty, children, slavery etc. More power to his elbow.


All put together, yep one flawed genius.


Hey Buddha - I think a lot of what I know about Maradona I picked up after the previous thread about him when you suggested it. He’s still not my hero, but there is both good and bad to him. You do get through sometimes ?
 
In the Wiki entry regarding the handball goal apparently Maradona later said, "I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came... I told them, 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'". Piss poor referee? Over a season, you win some you lose some but such an error in a knockout game can mean curtains and it did.

Yes, he's also said that it felt as if he was picking the pocket of an Englishman. In the context of the Falklands War that 'goal' was something very special for Argentinians.

Maradona wasn't at fault. Thx referee and linesman were. For a game of such magnitude, there should definitely have been a more experienced and more competent referee.
 
Not sure I’ll ever “forgive” Maradona for the hand ball. Doubt he cares about that tho. Also for claiming it to be “the hand of god”. What a load of shite. Although (And I never realised this until recently) he did apologise a few years later saying it was his hand that robbed England not gods hand. Go figure.

And his drug problems are not to be admired, although I think those sorts of issues can be illnesses rather than life options. Don’t know which it is in his case. Still lead him to do some bell-end type behaviour and outbursts.

Conversely -

I do admire his freakish skills as a footballer. He seemed to make any team he played for raise a level. Not sure Messi and even Ronaldo do that. They are just the stars in their teams. Maradona seemed to drag his teams with him.

I also admire his philanthropy. He donates huge amounts of money and time to UNICEF and a lot of other charities around poverty, children, slavery etc. More power to his elbow.


All put together, yep one flawed genius.


Hey Buddha - I think a lot of what I know about Maradona I picked up after the previous thread about him when you suggested it. He’s still not my hero, but there is both good and bad to him. You do get through sometimes ?

Great! That's good to know, cheers OSK.

And you're completely right that his drug abuse isn't to be admired. He, more than anyone, would agree with you about that. I've heard him talk whilst holding back the tears about how he'll never get that time with his young daughters back, and how he can never forgive himself for what his actions did to them.
 
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