El Pibe de Oro – The Golden Boy, was a nickname that stuck with Diego Armando Maradona throughout his career. The Argentine champion, who brought Napoli to greatness in Italian football and who for many was an inspiring symbol of social redemption, died of a heart attack at his home in Tigre, Argentina, on November 25, just a few weeks after he celebrated his 60th birthday on the 30th of October. The world of football is mourning his death.
Maradona had suffered poor health in the years preceding his death and in recent weeks had undergone head surgery, for which he was observing a period of rehabilitation at his home in Tigre, an area about 40 kilometers North East of Buenos Aires
Diego Armando Maradona
Explaining who Diego Armando Maradona was and what he meant to people in Italy and the world over, is not an easy task.
The Argentinian superstar was first and foremost, one of the greatest champions of football on the world stage! and for many, the greatest of them all. The Golden Boy was a player capable of practically dragging Argentina to the 1986 World Cup, single handedly! A player capable of bringing the coveted Scudetto twice to Naples, where he also won a UEFA Cup, the Italian Cup (The Coppa Italia) and The Italian Super Cup.
El Pibe de Oro was also a symbol of social redemption. Born to a very poor family in Lanús, Argentina, he managed to overcome a difficult and impoverished childhood, struggling against all the odds to achieve the dream he’d held as a young boy: to play at the World Cup and win!
Maradona was a man who was able to inspire the entire city of Naples. To the people of Naples, young and old, male and female, he was a symbol of victory and triumph. A massive source of pride for the city.
Unfortunately, Diego was a troubled man. Unable to resist the temptations of a high-flying career, he battled addiction to cocaine and alcohol. If you’re also struggling and want to recover from such addictions, professionals like the ones on this company could help.
November 25
Maradona died on November 25th, not just any day.
On the same day in 2005, George Best, another world football great, died in London. Best, like Maradona was another immense talent who led a troubled life.
Also on November 25, in 2016, Fidel Castro an historical and iconic figure very close to Maradona, died of natural causes in Havana, Cuba.
Diego Maradona died exactly four years after the death of his great friend and mentor Lider Maximo, whom Maradona called “a second father”.
After Kobe, 2020 also takes Diego away
2020 was a disastrous year for world sport, which saw two of the greatest champions in the history of sport die.
On January 26, before the world was shocked by Covid-19, the sports world had experienced the tragedy of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gianna.
The year of coronavirus also saw Chilean author Luis Sepulveda (70 years old), pianist and conductor Ezio Bosso (only 48 years old), coach Gigi Simoni (aged 81), English comedian, writer and educator John Peter Sloan (aged 51), Oscar winner Ennio Morricone (aged 91), actor Chadwick Boseman (aged just 43), great Scottish actor Sean Connery (aged 90)
Betting on Napoli’s next Scudetto
Diego Armando Maradona was the only player to be able to bring the Scudetto to Naples, and he did it not just once, but twice! The glories of the Maradona era have never been repeated in the Neapolitan city, but in recent years Napoli has returned to the top of Italian football. In this strange and uncertain year, which after only a quarter of the season has seen many teams with just a few points between them, the Neapolitans can at least try to dream big and embrace the scudetto dream. In fact, many bettors are focusing on Napoli taking advantage of the very interesting odds proposed by online bookmakers
