Argentina Mourned Over Maradona’s Death for Three Days, Why a Football Player Could Own Such an Honor? (II)

After ending his football-playing career, Maradona appeared on news again because of various scandals and his portly figure.

When his physical state was stable, he coached the Argentine club team and led the Argentine national team to appear in the 2010 World Cup, but his performance was mediocre and his ability was obviously not as good as when he was a player.

He had always been keeping his passionate style, stealing the limelight on the sidelines of the field and boosting morale when the team was in trouble. He possessed amazing cohesion in football-stars-studded Argentina. Because in front of him, no one had the courage to “put on airs”, neither did Messi.

And he had never forgotten his identity as “the people’s Maradona” or his origin as a “slum boy”.

When he was playing football in Italy, he was received by the Pope, but he bluntly said that the Holy See was extravagant and disregarded the lives of the poor; in Naples, he represented the impoverished southern and northern Italy against the powerful and the rich, and the common people put his portrait next to the statue of Jesus at home.

He had close contacts with socialist leaders in Latin America such as Castro in Cuba and Chavez in Venezuela. He also openly supported left-wing parties in the country to promote social justice.

He was a man full of controversy, but he drew a clear distinction between Love and Hate; he was given to sensual pleasures, but honest and straightforward. You may not love him, but you cannot deny that he is unconditionally loved by the people of Argentina and has become a symbol of the times.