[b]Diego Armando Maradona[/b]

[color:8f20=blue][u][b]The grand Maradona[/b][/u][/color]

Diego Armando Maradona (born October 30, 1960) is an Argentine ex-football
player. In 2000 Maradona shared the FIFA Player of the Century award with Pelé after finishing first in a FIFA internet poll on the best player of the 20th century.

Maradona won many trophies with Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli over the course of his career. During an international career that included 91 caps and 34 goals, he played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments, leading the Argentina national team to its victory over West Germany in 1986 World Cup, in which he collected the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player. He scored both goals in the 2-1 victory over England in the quarter-final of the '86 tournament. The first goal was an unpenalized handball known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal was a spectacular 60-metre weave through six England players, commonly referred to as "The Goal of the Century"

He is also considered one of the sport's most controversial figures. Maradona was suspended for 15 months in 1991 after a failed doping test for cocaine in Italy, and then again for ephedrine during the 1994 World Cup in USA.

After retiring from playing on his 37th birthday in 1997,[4] he suffered ill health and weight gain, hardly helped by ongoing cocaine abuse. However, a stomach stapling operation helped control his weight gain. Since overcoming his cocaine addiction, he has become a TV host in Argentina.

[color:8f20=blue]Early years[/color]

Diego Armando Maradona was born in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires, to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province. He was the first son after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (el Turco) and Eduardo (Lalo), both of whom were also professional football players.

At age 11, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors. As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games

[b] [color:8f20=blue]Personal life[/color][/b]

Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on November 7, 1989 in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (b. 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (b. 1989). In his autobiography, Maradona admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.

Maradona and Villafañe divorced in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. They traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005[18] and were seen together on many other occasions, including the Argentina matches during 2006 FIFA World Cup.

During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of Diego Sinagra (b. Naples, 1986), as was claimed by the youth's mother Cristiana Sinagra. (The Italian courts had so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his paternity.) Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after tricking his way onto a golf course in Naples where Maradona was playing.[19]

After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theatre producer, and Dalma is seeking an acting career; she has expressed her desire to attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.[20][21] Maradona has authored an autobiography entitled "Yo Soy El Diego" chronicling his life, both on and off the playing field. His autobiography was translated and published in English as Maradona: The Autobiography of Soccer's Greatest and Most Controversial Star.


[b][color:8f20=blue]International[/color][/b]

[list=1][*]Started in 21 consecutive matches for Argentina in four World Cups
(1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
Appeared a World Cup-record 16 times as captain of the national team
Scored 8 goals and made 8 assists in 21 World Cup appearances, including 5 goals and 5 assists in 1986
Tied for second-highest goal-scorer from Argentina in World Cup finals (equaled Guillermo Stabile's mark in 1994; surpassed by Gabriel Batistuta in 1998)[/list]

[b][color:8f20=red][u]Honours[/u][/color][/b]

[b][color:8f20=blue]club[/color][/b]

Boca Juniors
Primera División: 1981
FC Barcelona
Copa del Rey: 1983
Copa de la Liga: 1983
Spanish Super Cup: 1983
SSC Napoli
Serie A: 1987, 1990
Coppa Italia: 1987
Capocannoniere: 1988
UEFA Cup: 1989
Italian Super Cup: 1990

[b][color:8f20=blue]Country[/color][/b]

Argentina
FIFA World Youth Championship: 1979
FIFA World Cup:
Winner: 1986
Runner-up: 1990
Artemio Franchi Trophy: 1993
75th anniversary FIFA Cup: 1979

[b][color:8f20=blue]Individual[/color][/b]

Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1979
Argentine league Top Scorer: 1979, 1980, 1981
Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986
South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas):1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992
Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year: 1986
Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup: 1986
Best Footballer in the World (Once): 1986 — 1987
World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine): 1986
Serie A Top Scorer: 1987/1988
Golden Ball for services to football (France Football): 1996
Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century: 1999
"FIFA best football player of the century", people's choice: 2000
"FIFA Goal of the Century" (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal): 2002