ARGENTINA: MARADONA LEADS ARGENTINA IN EMOTIONAL TESTIMONIAL MATCH AGAINST ALL-STAR ELEVEN.

Record ID: 448865

  • Title: ARGENTINA: MARADONA LEADS ARGENTINA IN EMOTIONAL TESTIMONIAL MATCH AGAINST ALL-STAR ELEVEN.
  • Date: 10th November 2001
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (NOVEMBER 10, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF FANS ARRIVING TO STADIUM 2. VARIOUS OF FANS ENTERING STADIUM 3. MEDIA 4. VARIOUS OF FANS WATCHING MONTAGE OF FAMOUS MARADONA GOALS 5. VARIOUS OF PRE-GAME CELEBRATIONS 6. VARIOUS OF DIEGO MARADONA ENTERING FIELD, CROWD CHEERING
  • Embargoed: 25th November 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
  • Country: Argentina
  • Reuters ID: LVA25MT9YLDSKCYYBZY1I6QQNIVB
  • Story Text: A 50,000 crowd packed Argentina's Bombonera stadium,
    home of Diego Maradona's beloved Boca Juniors, to pay tribute
    to a player, who despite extra pounds around his waist, still
    showed flashes of the skill that made him one of the best the
    world has known.



    Diego Maradona wept and hobbled through an emotional
    testimonial match featuring a wealth of top past and present
    players and watched by his former foe Pele on Saturday
    (November 10, 2001).

    The game featured the current Argentine team, led by
    Maradona, against an All-Stars eleven which included many
    players who, like Maradona, had their careers disrupted by
    problems off the field.

    Maradona converted two penalties as Argentina won 6-3.

    "This is too much for one person, for one footballer, I
    thank you with all my heart," he told the crowd at the end in
    a speech.

    Frenchman Eric Cantona, Bulgarian Hristo Stoichkov and
    eccentric Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita were among the
    former bad boys in the All-Stars team.

    Other guests included former Germany captain Lothar
    Matthaeus, Croatia's Davor Suker, Uruguayan Enzo Francescoli
    and Argentine Juan Roman Riquelme, who now wears the number
    ten Boca Juniors shirt which once belonged to Maradona.

    The match was preceeded by a controversy over plans to
    remove the number ten shirt from the Argentine team.

    Argentina Football Association (AFA) president Julio
    Grondona announced the move on Friday following a suggestion
    by the players but on Saturday, local media said that FIFA had
    rejetced the idea.

    A FIFA spokesman was quoted as saying that all teams at
    next year's World Cup would have to number their players from
    one to 23 and the only way for Argentina to drop the number
    ten would be by taking a man less.

    The match itself, preceeded by a performance from a local
    rock group called "The Paranoid Rats" who sang "I want Diego
    to play for ever", was in the best melodramatic Argentine
    style with tears flowing before and after the game, on the
    field and in the crowd.

    Maradona took the pitch with his two daughters dressed in
    Argentina shirts and replaced Ariel Ortega in what was
    otherwise the same Argentine team which beat Peru 2-0 in a
    World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

    Argentina made sure Maradona got plenty of the ball and,
    although the 1986 World Cup hero barely broke into a trot, he
    split the visiting defence with an array of precise passes as
    he proved that his left foot was still in fine fettle.

    The high point of the match came in the second half when
    Maradona tried to chip Higuita from 30 metres and the
    Colombian keeper produced a replica of his famous "scorpion
    kick" save he once produced in a friendly against England.

    Maradona, who had trained in Cuba where he has lived for
    nearly two years as part of his drugs rehabilitation
    programme, limped through much of the second half, apparently
    feeling the effects of knee surgery he underwent last month.

    Ten minutes from the end, the most fanatical faction of
    the Boca fans produced their own tribute by letting off
    fireworks and chanting their idols' name.

    Play was stopped as Maradona, weeping again, waved to fans
    and threw several shirts into the crowd.

    In addition to Maradona, Pablo Aimar (twice), Lucas
    Castroman and Claudio Lopez scored for Argentina. Suker,
    Cantona and Higuita, from a penalty, replied.


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