Twenty years ago, Maradona’s international ended suddenly and dramatically in the World Cup USA when he tested positive to a drugs test in an early group match played by Argentina against Nigeria.
Later today Messi will lead out Argentina to play against the same country, a player determined to prove in this World Cup in the great rival Brazil that he is not the only best, but better than Maradona. Brazil has been invaded by Argentine fans dreaming of a World Cup held up by Messi.
It was Pep Guardiola than soon after taking over as manager of FC Barcelona read the riot act to a younger and immature Messi who had gone dangerously wayward, hitting the nightlife with Deco and Ronaldino. If he wanted to be as great if not better than Diego, Guardiola told Messi, it was time get back to a decent diet, stable sleeping patterns and disciplined training. Without it, Messi’s international career would prove short lived.
Messi wised up, bounced back, gave Guardiola his best years as a manager, and in the process earned himself the reputation as the greatest playing footballer in the world, until FC Barcelona fans resented his apparent lack of commitment and poor play at club level, claiming that he was reserving himself for this World Cup.
So now it’s Messi’s moment of truth. Win or lose, Argentina are through to the next round. A draw later today will be enough for Nigeria to go through with them- a tempting formula for a fix? I hope not. Messi needs to emerge from this match unblemished before going on and winning the World Cup. Anything less will not be enough to dethrone Diego from his legendary throne.
And now lest we forget him La Mano de Dios, a bit of pertinent history:
“In the context of Maradona’s life…both goals against England in Mexico in 1986, belonged very much to the same man. The first showed Maradona the urchin child who had grown to be a star, still so unsure of his true self as to feel the need to cheat. The second showed Maradona the hugely gifted player of exceptional skill whose combination of acceleration, control, strength and accuracy translated into unrivalled greatness on the field.
Maradona emerged from the Mexico World Cup with his status as one of the great footballer of all time strengthened, even though his image as a person was tarnished by dissension. Argentina’s victory over (West) Germany in the final proved something of an anti-climax after the controversy and brilliance of the match against England. But Maradona scored a personal triumph in in his gladiatorial contest with West Germany’s midfielder Lothar Mathaus, the sheer skill and self-discipline of the Argentine ultimately overcoming the tough and relentless marking of the German. And in the end it was Maradona who tipped the match in his team’s favour: with a deft pass to Burruchaga, he set up Argentina’s winning goal.
It was a fitting end to a competition which had confirmed the extent to which Maradona had matured as a player since transferring to European club football in 1982. He had arrived in Mexico with his personal life in tatters, his team in disarray, yet conscious that his reputation as one of the best, if not the best, was to be put to the test in the most widely viewed World Cup ever. Such pressures would have cracked a weaker personality. Yet in Mexico, Maradona seemed to channel his inner tensions into a positive combativeness….
If the Mexican wave was born in the Azteca stadium, bringing back joy in the aftermath of the earthquake, it was Maradona who had ridden on the crest of it, thanks to his magic on the field….
In the World Cup USA in 1994, Maradona led Argentina to a convincing 4-0 win over Greece, and a hard earned 2-1 victory over Nigeria. After the Nigeria match, Maradona…was one of two Argentine players picked for a dope test…
“What’s wrong, Fernando?” Maradona asked his personal trainer Signorini.”They’ve killed us, “Signorini replied, “The test was positive and they’ve decided to suspend you. “
Maradona felt he had fallen into a black hole. In silence, he staggered from his bed and made for the bathroom. “I killed myself training, I killed myself training, and now they do this to me!” he screamed before breaking out in sobs.
Signorini was rarely surprised by anything that Maradona did, but the scene he witnessed that day-an international star reduced in an instant to a human wreck- was not one he easily forgot. He later recalled: “It seemed as if Diego’s whole world had come apart. He was crying from the deepest depth of his soul, completely out of control.”
