FIFA celebrated this Friday in Doha, Qatar, the second anniversary of Diego Maradona’s death, the star of the 1986 World Cup that led Argentina to its second World Cup title.
Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, gathered several Argentine world champions from 1978 and 1986 around a statue of the former star holding the Jules Rimet Cup. “Diego Maradona is unique and we are grateful for his talent,” said the head of the football board.
In memory of the great Diego Maradona, who sadly passed away two years ago today.
You are always in our thoughts, Diego pic.twitter.com/ZI5LCYhaKD
– FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) November 25, 2022
Fillol, Larrosa, Villa, Kempes, Bertoni, Tarantini, Pumpido, Tapia, Bochini, Batista, Burruchaga, Ruggeri, Giusti, Valdano and Enrique were the world champions who attended and showed a shirt with a picture of El Pibe kissing the cup . Also present were other former stars of world football such as Hristo Stoitchkov, Javier Zanetti, Diego Simeone, Juan Sorín and former Argentina coach José Pekerman.
In his speech, Infantino left a request that “from now on, in all World Cups” Maradona will be honored. “I am Italian and I am an Inter fan. I am not Argentinian, nor Napoli, but I love Diego very much. He was my idol and I am very happy that we (FIFA) were able to restore the relationship.” we had with him, after spending time together at the World Cup in Russia. It is an honor to be with all these champions who remember him,” said the FIFA president.
It is curious that this tribute from FIFA comes despite the bad relationship Maradona always had with the directors who ran the organization, whom he accused of having financial interests, rather than driving the growth of football around the world.
Furthermore, Diego always made it clear that the doping case at the 1994 World Cup in the United States was set up by FIFA as retaliation. The truth is that at the end of the game in which he went to the anti-doping control, two nurses came to take the player off the field.
Jorge Valdano, former world champion in 1986 alongside Maradona, was the spokesperson for the Argentines: “Diego belongs to all of us. The players of 1986 had the privilege of sharing their most glorious moment with him. Legends grow with time, they do not weaken. And Diego is more than a legend, he is a myth.”
On its Twitter page, FIFA also left a word about the two years since the disappearance of the idol of all Argentines, considered one of the greatest players of all time. “We remember the great Diego Maradona, who sadly passed away two years ago. You will always be in our thoughts, Diego,” it read.
Source: DN
