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RIOTS and bloodshed broke out at Diego Maradona’s funeral in Buenos Aires as thousands lined the streets to see his coffin.
His heartbroken fans lined streets of the Argentine on Thursday as his coffin was taken out from the Casa Rosada government house to be laid to rest in the outskirts of the city, where his parents are also buried.

Some mourners clashed with police in the Argentinian capital as emotions ran high.
And one funeral worker invoked fury by taking a selfie with the former World Cup winner’s coffin.
Maradona died on Wednesday from a heart attack at the age of 60 just hours after telling his family he was feeling unwell.
The football legend passed away at his home in Buenos Aires two weeks after being released from hospital for a bleed on his brain.

Maradona came down for breakfast on Wednesday morning looking pale and complaining about feeling cold. He told his nephew that he felt sick before returning to bed where he was later found dead by a nurse.
Follow our live blog below for the latest news and updates on Maradona’s death

BARCA MOURNS
A moment of reflection was dedicated to former star Diego Maradona, during Barcelona’s training session earlier today.
The Argentine netted 38 goals in 58 games for the Catalan side between 1982 and 1984.

WORLDWIDE TRIBUTES
Tributes are popping up all over the glove for Diego Maradona.
Here is one touching effort from Syria.

DALMA MARADONA PAYS TRIBUTE TO HER FATHER
She posted: “I always feared my own death a lot but not now…because I know that is going to be the moment I am going to see you and hug you again.
“I’m already missing you daddy. I’m going to stick it out here, without that piece of my heart that you took with you.”

MIKEL ARTETA ON MARADONA
The Arsenal boss said, in tribute to the late Argentine: “It is a really sad moment, I was big fan of him.
“I know a lot of people who were very close with him as well and he was someone who inspired a whole city wherever he played.
“He had this attraction, a capacity to generate different emotions to any other football player and I think we all, as kids, were attached to him and now he is gone.
“Thank you so much for what he has done for this sport and I think a lot of young kids at the time wanted to become a footballer because of players like him.”

💬 “He had this attraction, a capacity to generate different emotions to any other football player and I think we all, as kids, were attached to him.”@m8arteta remembers Diego Maradona.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 27, 2020

MARADONA’S LAWYER THREATENS ACTION OVER FUNERAL WORKER’S SELFIE
The lawyer for Diego Maradona has threatened legal action after pictures emerged of three funeral workers posing next to the late Argentinian footballer’s open coffin.
Photos have emerged of funeral worker’s posing for pictures next to the open casket of the late footballing hero.
One showed a man in a white shirt and black tie standing over the coffin, giving a thumbs up, while another showed two men by Maradona’s body.
Maradona’s lawyer, Matías Morla, said he had identified the “piece of s**t” who had taken the image of himself next to the coffin, adding: “For the sake of my friend’s memory, I will not rest until he pays for this outrage.”

MORE QUOTES…
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
“Diego Maradona will always be the best player I have seen live. Saw him play for Argentina against Norway in Oslo. They lost 1-0. Stood outside and touched his shoulder.
“Had the pleasure of meeting him at Old Trafford. Unbelievable talent. Smile when you saw him. Best there has been.”
Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso
“The greatest regret I have is probably the fact that I can’t tell my children I played against Maradona. For sure he would have dribbled past me or maybe something worse, but I regret it.
“He died, but Diego will never die, especially in this city (Napoli) because this city was lucky enough to have him. He changed the history of Italian football because for a long time the championship was played between Turin and Milan teams.
“Here he was more than a player. He was someone who always said reasonable things and was the pride of the city.”
Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa
“He was for us, and will continue to be, an idol. Given the fact he is not here with us anymore brings us great sadness. Having lost an idol, it’s something that makes us feel weak.
“Maradona was an artist. To give one example that stands out: the songs written about him are extraordinary and I read 10 texts after his death that have been emotional.
“I don’t recall where I was (when I watched the ‘Hand of God’ goal) but the expression of a work of art is something that you can’t put to too many things. When you see a beautiful church you are taken back, this was a similar feeling I had when Diego scored.”

QUOTES ABOUT MARADONA
Here’s a round up of what some top flight managers have said about Argentine star that was Diego Maradona.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard
“Diego Maradona was my idol growing up. He was a person who was the player on the world stage that made me fall in love with the game. He is a footballing god.”
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti
“I have a good memory of him. He was an opponent and then he became a friend. I always liked him as a person and it’s a big loss for football. He was the best player I ever played against.”
On the ‘Hand of God’: “I think it was handball. But you cannot explain Maradona with the handball. That World Cup he practically won on his own.”
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp
“The best through my lifetime. Maybe it is not right anymore because I have seen Cristiano (Ronaldo) and Lionel (Messi) many times now as well. In my own playing career, he was the standout player.
“His life I think shows how nice and how difficult life can be when you are a world class footballer.
“I met him once. For a player of my level meeting him was like meeting the Pope.”

AGUERO FINDING IT ‘TOUGH’ AFTER MARADONA’S DEATH
Pep Guardiola has admitted the past few days have been tough for Argentina international Sergio Aguero following the death of Diego Maradona.
Aguero played under Maradona for the national team and was also once married to his daughter Giannina, who is the mother of his son.
Guardiola said: “It’s difficult for me to talk about his feelings. The game against Olympiacos was hard.
“Especially for his son, it’s tough. He knew Maradona well and his son, it’s his grandfather. It’s a sad situation for his family, but he’s OK.”

MARADONA WAS A ‘FOOTBALLING GOD’
Chelsea coach and former England midfielder Frank Lampard has described Diego Maradona as a “footballing god”.
Lampard, who made 106 appearances for the national side, said the Argentine was the reason he fell in love with the game.
He said: “He was the player on the world stage that made me fall in love with the game.
“I was fortunate to meet him very briefly, he was a footballing god and it is very sad.”

GIANT PICTURE OF MARADONA ERECTED
A giant photo of Diego Maradona has been erected in the footballer’s honour in Italy.
The picture has been put up on the outside of the Royal Palace in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples.
It has already become something of an attraction for fans with many leaving flowers and other memorabilia of the Argentine star who spent a long period of his career at Napoli.
A toddler was also caught on camera practicing his footie skills in front of the memorial.

PLAYERS OBSERVE 1 MIN SILENCE ACROSS THE WORLD
Players observe a minute of silence to pay a tribute to late Argentinian football player Diego Maradona ahead of the AFC Champions League group F football match between China’s Shanghai Shenhua and Japan’s FC Tokyo at the Education City Stadium in the Qatari city of Ar-Rayyan.

MARADONA’S FAVOURITE RESTAURANT TABLE PERMANENTLY RESERVED
Salt Bae has permanently reserved Diego Maradona’s favourite table at his iconic Dubai restaurant.
Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, shared a video of the table which featured a framed picture of the sporting great and a sign saying “reserved”.
Gökçe wrote: “This was your favourite table Maradona. Table is reserved forever for you. RIP Legend.”

MORE BLOOD SPILLED IN CLASHES
More blood was spilled during clashed between Maradona fans and police.
Cops struggled to maintain order as emotions ran high with fans eager to pay their last respects to the footballing legend.
Pictures show police swooping in to make arrests with some fans sustaining bloody injuries.

PICTURED: COPS CLASH WITH FANS
Clashes between cops and Maradona fans erupted for the second day running as Argentina continued its three days of official mourning.
Skirmishes broke out as fans were desperate to pay their last respects to their hero who died on Wednesday from a heart attack.
As tensions rose the last goodbye was suspended as police made a number of arrests.

FLARES AND FIRES LIT AS NAPOLI FANS HONOUR MARADONA
Napoli fans lit fires and flares outside the San Paolo stadium in Naples as they mourned their hero Diego Maradona.
Hundreds of fans of the Argentine star gathered last night to pay their respects.
Maradona joined the Italian side from Barcelona in 1984 and remained with the club until 1991.
He scored 81 goals for the side and became a firm favourite with loyal fans.

BRAZIL PUTS ASIDE FOOTBALL RIVALRY TO HONOUR MARADONA
Brazil may be fierce rivals with Argentina on the pitch but the country still honoured Diego Maradona.
But they are putting aside the argument to mourn the death of Maradona.
Ex-presidents, author Paulo Coelho and former competitors were among Brazilians paying tribute to Maradona for his influence on the game and charisma off the field.

NAPOLI TO RENAME STADIUM TO HONOUR MARADONA
Napoli are set to rename their Stadio San Paolo after Diego Maradona following the club legend’s death.
The Serie A side’s president Aurelio de Laurentiis is already in talks with the Naples city mayor over the change.
De Laurentiis told Sky Italy: “I’ve been in talks with local authorities for the past 17 years, I have always asked to buy the stadium and rename it ‘Diego Armando Maradona’.
“If then, for tradition, we will need to call it both ‘San Paolo’ and ‘Maradona’ so be it.
“It won’t change much, but it’s only right that Maradona has this recognition.
Read more here.

MOURINHO PAYS TRIBUTE TO MARADONA
Tottenham Hotspur coach Jose Mourinho has paid tribute to his friend Diego Maradona after the Argentine star died on Wednesday.
Mourinho paid honoured Maradona after Spurs’ 4-0 victory over Ludogorets in the Europa League.
“Maradona the world knows, the world never forgets,” he said. “I made sure that my son knows a lot about him, even being born after he was a player. I know my son will make sure when he is a father he will not let his kids forget.
“It was a bit similar with [Alfredo] Di Stefano; I never saw him play football, but my dad made sure I knew a lot about him. With these generations, we have players of our generations, and in my generation was what everybody knows.”
He added: “I know him well enough and in my big defeats, he would always call me. In my big victories, never. But I will miss Diego, and I am very sad but I have a smile because with him, every minute I spent with him was to laugh.”

POLICE AND FANS CLASH ONCE AGAIN
Fans of Diego Maradona and cops clashed once again as people were desperate to see their footballing icon one last time.
Tensions quickly escalated as fans tried to pay their last respects to the Argentine hero.
Only family members and close friends were able to attend the private ceremony at the Jardin Bella Vista as Maradona was laid to rest.

FUNERAL: IN PICS
Crowds lined the street to catch a glimpse of Maradona’s hearse as head towards the cemetery.
Hundreds of supporters crowded the road in an outpour of grief.
A small group of family and friends carried Diego Maradona’s casket with the flag of Argentina draped over it.
About a dozen people were present for the private religious ceremony and burial of the former forward.

COFFIN DRIVEN TO FUNERAL AS MOURNERS LINE STREETS
Mourners have lined the streets as Diego Maradona’s coffin is driven to the football legend’s funeral in Buenos Aires on Thursday.
Grieving supporters cried as the hearse carrying the former forward drove past them today in Buenos Aires.
Maradona was laid to rest next to his parents Dalma and Diego at the Jardin de Paz cemetery.
A small group of family and friends carried his casket with the flag of Argentina draped over it into the the cemetery.
About a dozen people were gathered for the private religious ceremony and burial.
His body was meant to lie in state for three days at the presidential palace after Argentina’s president Alberto Fernandez declared three days of mourning for Maradona.

MORE PATERNITY CLAIMS
In the wake of a reunion with Diego Jr and Jana, more women came forward with paternity claims against Maradona.
In March 2019, he accepted paternity of three Cuban children, reportedly from two mothers, although their identities remain a secret.
Maradona had spent many months in Havana between 2000 and 2005 while undergoing treatment for a cocaine habit, even befriending then-President Fidel Castro during his time in the country.
Maradona later got a tattoo of Castro’s face on his leg.
At least three other women have come forward claiming Maradona to be the father of their children, but he did not publicly confirm they were his before his death.
His youngest child, Diego Fernando, is just seven, and was born in 2013.
Maradona had been dating his mother, Veronica Ojeda, before dumping her when she was four months pregnant for Rocio Oliva, 30 years his junior.

CHILDREN & LOVE CHILDREN
While two of his children, daughters Dalma and Giannina, were with his first wife Claudia Villafane, Diego has at least three other kids – with unconfirmed rumours of more.
In 2016, after nearly 30 years of denying paternity, Diego finally recognised Diego Jr Sinagra as his son.
He had been born in September 1986 after Diego’s affair with model Cristina Sinagra while he played for Napoli.
Despite years of campaigning from his mum – and even rumours that the Pope had got involved – Diego refused to accept he was the father, despite an Italian court proclaiming him as the father as early as 1995.
He finally had a change of heart after another love child, Jana, got to know him by secretly meeting with him at a gym he attended in Buenos Aires.
Maradona had fathered Jana, now a lingerie model, after a brief fling with nightclub worker Valeria Sabalain while still married to Claudia Villafane.
Diego Jr, who had a career as a lower league footballer in Italy, publicly posed for pictures with Diego after a family reunion.
Maradona Sr said: “I’m very happy because I’ve been reunited with my son.
“I’ve been reunited with him as I was reunited with Jana.
“I love him a lot and he’s very like me.”

FORMER LOVER CLAIMS SHE WAS BANNED FROM WAKE
Maradona’s former lover Rocio Oliva has spoken in tears claiming she was banned from the wake by his ex-wife Claudia Villafane.
Oliva called the ban ‘a disgrace’ in an emotional interview outside the doors of Argentina’s equivalent of the White House.
She claimed she had been excluded from a list of the retired footballer’s closest family and friends already inside the Casa Rosada and told to queue with the rest of the public.
Oliva spent six years with the recovering drug addict and came close to marrying him before their split at the end of 2018.
As she fought back tears after being turned away before the public were allowed in to see Diego in his coffin, she said: “The decision on who gets in depends on Claudia.
“I don’t know why they’re doing this to me. All I wanted to do was say goodbye to Diego.
“I was his last partner. I have as much right as anyone else to say goodbye to him.
“They should think a bit more about Diego who’s dead now.”
In a menacing emotional last comment before she left, she said: “God sees everything and they are going to pay for this.”

WHO WAS MARADONA’S FIRST WIFE?
Maradona met his wife Claudia Villafane when she was 17 and he 19.
They married after a long engagement in 1989 and were wed 25 years, but the pair endured a turbulent relationship over three decades.
Maradona has two children with Claudia, who has been a film producer, reality TV star and actress in her career.
However, their marriage was fraught with rumours of Diego’s infidelity.
The couple divorced in 2004, but continued to be seen together in the years that followed, including at the 2006 World Cup.
The pair then drifted apart but made more headlines together in 2018, when Maradona sued Claudia for allegedly stealing his money and using it to buy apartments in Florida.

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DIEGO Maradona died on Wednesday from a heart attack at the age of 60 just hours after telling his family he was feeling unwell.
His heartbroken fans lined Buenos Aires streets on Thursday as his coffin was taken out from the Casa Rosada government house to be laid to rest in the outskirts of the city, where his parents are also buried.

The Argentinian football star passed away at his home in Buenos Aires two weeks after being released from hospital for a bleed on his brain.
According to reports, Maradona came down for breakfast on Wednesday morning looking pale and complaining about feeling cold. He told his nephew that he felt sick before returning to bed.
Shortly before midday a nurse went to check on him but was unable to rouse him. Paramedics were called but Maradona died before they arrived.
Three days of mourning have now been declared in Argentina, where President Alberto Fernandez said “You took us to the top of the world. You made us immensely happy. You were the greatest of all.”

Follow our live blog below for the latest news and updates on Maradona’s death

FUNERAL: IN PICS
Crowds lined the street to catch a glimpse of Maradona’s hearse as head towards the cemetery.
Hundreds of supporters crowded the road in an outpour of grief.
A small group of family and friends carried Diego Maradona’s casket with the flag of Argentina draped over it.
About a dozen people were present for the private religious ceremony and burial of the former forward.

COFFIN DRIVEN TO FUNERAL AS MOURNERS LINE STREETS
Mourners have lined the streets as Diego Maradona’s coffin is driven to the football legend’s funeral in Buenos Aires on Thursday.
Grieving supporters cried as the hearse carrying the former forward drove past them today in Buenos Aires.
Maradona was laid to rest next to his parents Dalma and Diego at the Jardin de Paz cemetery.
A small group of family and friends carried his casket with the flag of Argentina draped over it into the the cemetery.
About a dozen people were gathered for the private religious ceremony and burial.
His body was meant to lie in state for three days at the presidential palace after Argentina’s president Alberto Fernandez declared three days of mourning for Maradona.

MORE PATERNITY CLAIMS
In the wake of a reunion with Diego Jr and Jana, more women came forward with paternity claims against Maradona.
In March 2019, he accepted paternity of three Cuban children, reportedly from two mothers, although their identities remain a secret.
Maradona had spent many months in Havana between 2000 and 2005 while undergoing treatment for a cocaine habit, even befriending then-President Fidel Castro during his time in the country.
Maradona later got a tattoo of Castro’s face on his leg.
At least three other women have come forward claiming Maradona to be the father of their children, but he did not publicly confirm they were his before his death.
His youngest child, Diego Fernando, is just seven, and was born in 2013.
Maradona had been dating his mother, Veronica Ojeda, before dumping her when she was four months pregnant for Rocio Oliva, 30 years his junior.

CHILDREN & LOVE CHILDREN
While two of his children, daughters Dalma and Giannina, were with his first wife Claudia Villafane, Diego has at least three other kids – with unconfirmed rumours of more.
In 2016, after nearly 30 years of denying paternity, Diego finally recognised Diego Jr Sinagra as his son.
He had been born in September 1986 after Diego’s affair with model Cristina Sinagra while he played for Napoli.
Despite years of campaigning from his mum – and even rumours that the Pope had got involved – Diego refused to accept he was the father, despite an Italian court proclaiming him as the father as early as 1995.
He finally had a change of heart after another love child, Jana, got to know him by secretly meeting with him at a gym he attended in Buenos Aires.
Maradona had fathered Jana, now a lingerie model, after a brief fling with nightclub worker Valeria Sabalain while still married to Claudia Villafane.
Diego Jr, who had a career as a lower league footballer in Italy, publicly posed for pictures with Diego after a family reunion.
Maradona Sr said: “I’m very happy because I’ve been reunited with my son.
“I’ve been reunited with him as I was reunited with Jana.
“I love him a lot and he’s very like me.”

FORMER LOVER CLAIMS SHE WAS BANNED FROM WAKE
Maradona’s former lover Rocio Oliva has spoken in tears claiming she was banned from the wake by his ex-wife Claudia Villafane.
Oliva called the ban ‘a disgrace’ in an emotional interview outside the doors of Argentina’s equivalent of the White House.
She claimed she had been excluded from a list of the retired footballer’s closest family and friends already inside the Casa Rosada and told to queue with the rest of the public.
Oliva spent six years with the recovering drug addict and came close to marrying him before their split at the end of 2018.
As she fought back tears after being turned away before the public were allowed in to see Diego in his coffin, she said: “The decision on who gets in depends on Claudia.
“I don’t know why they’re doing this to me. All I wanted to do was say goodbye to Diego.
“I was his last partner. I have as much right as anyone else to say goodbye to him.
“They should think a bit more about Diego who’s dead now.”
In a menacing emotional last comment before she left, she said: “God sees everything and they are going to pay for this.”

WHO WAS MARADONA’S FIRST WIFE?
Maradona met his wife Claudia Villafane when she was 17 and he 19.
They married after a long engagement in 1989 and were wed 25 years, but the pair endured a turbulent relationship over three decades.
Maradona has two children with Claudia, who has been a film producer, reality TV star and actress in her career.
However, their marriage was fraught with rumours of Diego’s infidelity.
The couple divorced in 2004, but continued to be seen together in the years that followed, including at the 2006 World Cup.
The pair then drifted apart but made more headlines together in 2018, when Maradona sued Claudia for allegedly stealing his money and using it to buy apartments in Florida.

MARADONA WAS ‘MESMERISING’ SAYS HENRY
Former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry wrote on Instagram: “It was like yesterday, being old enough to watch my first World Cup that I can remember (1986). He was mesmerising. It was his World Cup.
“There were so many more memories. It was an honour and privilege to watch and then meet one of the greatest footballers to have ever played the game.
“My thoughts are with all his family, friends and many admirers. RIP

FOOTBALL BROTHERS
Two of Maradona’s brothers also became professional footballers, although not with anywhere near the same level of success as Argentina’s No10.
Raul, known as Lalo, had a brief stint with Boca Juniors and Spanish club Granada before spending much of his career in the US.
Hugo, known as El Turco, played in Spain with Rayo Vallecano and in Austria with Rapid Vienna, before becoming a cult hero with numerous clubs in Japan.
Neither played at international level.

MARADONA’S PARENTS & HIS TURBULENT FAMILY LIFE
Argentina’s favourite son, who has battled alcohol and drug addiction and obesity, leaves behind a complicated personal and familial legacy.
Born to a devout Catholic family, Maradona grew up in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown just south of capital Buenos Aries.
His father, affectionately known as Don Diego, was a factory worker who once refused to let his son attend trials for Argentinos Juniors because there was not enough money in the sport.
His mother, Dona Tota, was a homemaker who raised eight children – Diego was the oldest – and is known as being the biggest influence and a calming presence on her most famous child.
In fact, when Dona Tota died in 2011 it was national news in Argentina, with the country’s biggest newspapers and TV stations running obituaries.
According to football folklore she had wanted Diego to become an accountant.
Maradona talks reverently about her in his autobiography, describing how she would skip meals and pretend to be ill just to be able to feed her kids.

MARADONA’S WILL REMAINS UNCLEAR
It was not immediately clear last night who the former Barcelona and Napoli star had included in his will.
In November last year Diego threatened to leave nothing to his children after being forced to deny he was dying.
In a video filmed from what appeared to be his home in Argentina Maradona, who has battled drink and drug addictions as well as weight problems, he fumed about the situation.
He said: “I want to tell you that I’m not dying at all, that I sleep peacefully because I’m working.”
“What I do know is that as you get older, people worry more about what you’re going to leave than what you’re doing.
“I tell you all that I’m not going to leave anything, that I am going to donate it.
“I’m not going to give away everything I earned by running during my life, I’m going to donate it.”

FUNERAL WORKER SACKED FOR TAKING SELFIE NEXT TO COFFIN
A FUNERAL parlour worker has been sacked after taking a selfie by the open coffin of Diego Maradona.
The sick photo showing him doing the thumbs-up by the football legend’s body started circulating on social media this afternoon.
Argentina’s president Alberto Fernandez has decreed three days of mourning after the death of the legendary player of a suspected heart attack aged 60.
Maradona’s body lay in a wooden coffin with the blue and white national flag and an Argentina shirt with his famous number 10 in the Casa Rosada presidential palace in the capital Buenos Aires.
But earlier a funeral parlour employee, understood to have been one of the men tasked with preparing Maradona’s body, took a selfie of himself with open casket.
The owner of the funeral parlour, a firm called Sepelios Pinier, confirmed to local media the worker has now been sacked.

FEUD BETWEEN MARADONA’S 5 KIDS & ‘6 LOVE CHILDREN’ OVER ESTATE
DIEGO Maradona’s death could spark a family feud over his estate between the five kids he recognised and his six suspected love children.
Not long before he died, one of his daughters even joked the Argentine could make up a football team’s full starting eleven with his brood.
Maradona recognised two sons and three daughters including his ex-wife Claudia Villafane and former long-term partner Veronica Ojeda as his own.
The star accepted his two daughters with ex-wife Claudia Villafane – Dalma and Gianinna – along with his son Diego Fernando who he had with girlfriend Veronica Ojeda.
He also had flings with bar worker Valeria Sablalin, who gave birth to daughter Jana Maradona, and Italian woman Cristinia Sinagra, with whom he had son Diego Sinagra.
However, Maradona is alleged to have at least six other children from various flings and some have previously appealed for their dad’s love.
Santiago Lara and Magali Gil both made appeals in the media to the football legend, and both are said to have been trying to get a DNA test before he died.
And the star is alleged to have fathered up to four children while he was living in Cuba, three of whom have been named as Joana, Lu and Javielito.
His family now risk going to war as they face the complicated task of carving up his estate, especially after the star threatened his children would get nothing after his death.

‘WE’VE LOST AN IDOL’ SAYS BIELSA
Former Argentina national team manager Marcelo Bielsa has said we’ve lost an “idol” following the death of Diego Maradona.
He inspired his country to World Cup glory in 1986, and also helped Napoli win the Italian league title in 1987 and 1990.
Leeds manager Bielsa mourned the death of a sportsman who is considered a national hero in his country.
“He was for us, and will continue to be, an idol,” Bielsa, who managed the Argentina national side from 1998 to 2004, said.
“Given the fact he is not with us any more brings great sadness. We have lost an idol and it makes us feel weak.
“What really stood out was his relationship with the public. Everything he did as a footballer was of a beauty which cannot be matched.
“Maradona was an artist. Players with such individual brilliance – they don’t know what it is to play with pressure.”

MARADONA’S ‘HAND OF GOD’ SHIRT HELD IN MANCHESTER MUSEUM
The shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he ‘scored’ his infamous ‘hand of God’ goal against England is on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester.
It was loaned to them for exhibitions in 2003 by former England midfielder Steve Hodge, who swapped shirts with Maradona after the ‘Hand of God’ World Cup quarter-final in Mexico City 34 years ago.
“To have a Diego Maradona shirt on display would be amazing in itself but to have ‘the’ shirt, the one he wore on June 22, 1986 and scored those two goals, for us, is absolutely phenomenal,” Dickie Felton, spokesperson for the National Football Museum, said.
“Our visitors, they love it. It provokes so many talking points because it is ‘the’ shirt and it provokes so many memories of people watching the game all those years ago.
“We were very lucky and fortunate in that Steve Hodge loaned us this remarkable piece of football history. So many thousands of visitors have seen it over the years. It is an astonishing artefact.

FIFA SHOULD RETIRE NO. 10 SHIRT TO HONOUR MARADONA
Marseille manager Andre Villas-Boas has said FIFA should retire the No 10 jersey from all clubs in honour of Diego Maradona.
The Argentina star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all-time, died on Wednesday following a heart attack.
Following Marseille’s 2-0 defeat to Porto in the Champions League, Villas-Boas said: “Maradona, yes it is tough news, I would like FIFA to retire the No. 10 shirt in all competitions, for all teams.
“It would be the best homage we could do for him. He is an incredible loss for the world of football.”

1 MILLION PEOPLE EXPECTED AT MARADONA’S CASKET IN ARGENTINA
Thousands of fans are paying their final respects to Argentine football legend Diego Maradona at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires.
Three days of national mourning have begun in Argentina after the national hero died following a heart attack on Wednesday at the age of 60.
Some wept, others blew kisses and said prayers as they filed past the coffin being displayed at the Casa Rosada.
A million people are expected to visit his casket.

FANS PROCESS THROUGH THE STREETS
Fans make a line pass in front of Maradona’s coffin at Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

PLATINI CALLS MARADONA ‘THE GREATEST FOOTBALL LOVER’
France great Michel Platini, one of Diego Maradona’s fiercest rivals in the Italian league during the 1980s, called him “the greatest football lover there was.”
In a message to The Associated Press on Thursday, Platini added Maradona was a child king. “He was a bit excessive in all things, but the most important thing is that he was excessive on the pitch and it was beautiful.”
Platini, who is 65, and Maradona played against each other at club level at a time when the Italian league was arguably the best in the world. Maradona arrived at Napoli in 1984, two years after Platini signed with Juventus.
Maradona, who scored 115 goals for Napoli in 259 matches, helped the club challenge Juventus’ supremacy, winning its first two Serie A titles and the 1989 UEFA Cup.
Platini won two Italian leagues and the 1985 European Cup with Juventus. In his last season there, he was runner-up to Maradona when Napoli won its first Serie A in 1987.

CLASHES BETWEEN FANS AND COPS CONTINUE
Frustrated fans have continued to clash with cops as thousands of people lined up to pay their respects to the star.
Fans threw bottles and metal fences at police near the Casa Rosada in the heart of Buenos Aires.
The first to bid farewell were his daughters and close family members. Then came former teammates of the 1986 World Cup-winning squad including Oscar Ruggeri.
The first fan to visit was Nahuel de Lima, using crutches to move because of a disability. At the same time, a wave of people tried to get ahead and confronted police, who used tear gas to contain them.
Bodyguards were stopping fans from taking pictures and controlling access to the building. Many fans were breaking down as soon as they left.

FIRST PICTURE OF MARADONA’S COFFIN
Maradona’s body lay in a wooden coffin with the blue and white national flag and an Argentina soccer jersey with the number 10 that had been part of his nickname “D10S” – a play on “dios”, the Spanish word for God.
His body is currently lying in state at the Casa Rosada presidential palace draped in an Argentine flag and his famous no. 10 shirt, as part of three days of mourning.

INDIAN FANS GATHER TO HONOUR MARADONA
Fans of Maradona in India have paid homage to their footballing hero.
Hundreds of fans gathered in Kolkata.
The 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, which Maradona helped the Argentine team lift, was the first World Cup to be live telecast in India and his feats on the pitch won him a legion of supporters.
Maradona made people fall in love with Argentina,” said Samudra Bose, who was among the hundreds that gathered in Kolkata to pay respects.
“Before Maradona and the 1986 World Cup people were mostly fans of Brazil, but Maradona after the 1986 World Cup divided Kolkata in two halves.”
Maradona visited Kolkata twice and his connection with the city was cemented in 2017 when he personally unveiled a statue of himself holding the World Cup, in the presence of thousands of fans.

ARGENTINES BID FAREWELL TO MARADONA
Argentines lined up in the streets of Buenos Aires on Thursday to say goodbye to soccer great Diego Maradona, whose casket lay in state at the Casa Rosada presidential palace draped in an Argentine flag and his famous no. 10 shirt.
Maradona, Argentina’s favorite son whose life was marred by struggles with addiction, died aged 60 following a heart attack at home on Wednesday. Huge crowds are expected to pay their respects as part of three days of national mourning.
Early on Thursday, thousands were already forming a snaking line through the streets near the central Plaza de Mayo after a night of mourning and reminiscing. Some scuffles broke out as fans tried to get inside the palace to see their hero.
Maradona’s body lay in a wooden coffin with the blue and white national flag and an Argentina soccer jersey with the number 10 that had been part of his nickname “D10S” – a play on “dios”, the Spanish word for God.
Fans held back by a barrier threw things towards the casket, including soccer shirts, as they tried to get near the player, who had become a hero in Argentina and beyond both on and off the pitch despite his well-documented flaws.
“He was someone who touched the sky with his hands but never took his feet off the ground,” President Alberto Fernandez said on Wednesday.

SHILTON REMEMBERS THE ‘HAND OF GOD’ GOAL
Peter Shilton, the England goalkeeper beaten by Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, shared his memories of that game.
“For me as a goalkeeper there didn’t seem to be any danger,” he told Sky Sports News.
“He would have been offside but one of our own players, Steve Hodge, was put off balance, so he was trying to clear it and hooked it back.
“I had a split-second decision to make – do I stay on my line and let the world’s greatest player have an opportunity from 10 yards out or can I get there? I felt I could just get there, it was an instinct thing, but I was always second-best, I was always trying to catch up.
“I was diving a little bit flat. I knew I was going to get the ball, I think Maradona said in an interview the reason he punched it in with his hand was because he could see I was getting above him, and he couldn’t head it.
“He took a chance, it ended up in the back of the net and then he ran off to celebrate. You’re looking around waiting for the referee to blow his whistle as we did, and of course the rest is history.”

ANDY MURRAY SHARES MEMORY OF MARADONA
Andy Murray has shared the memory of his meeting with Maradona.
He wrote on Instagram: “I was lucky enough to meet Maradona once at the 02 arena. He had come to watch the tennis there. He spoke to me for a couple of minutes in Spanish with unbelievable energy, passion and expression.
“Unfortunately I barely understood a word but that didn’t seem to matter. He was diminutive in size but clearly a larger than life character/personality with a tonne of charisma.
“The following day I was given a signed Argentina (shirt) which he left for me that you can see in the 2nd picture which reads..’To my friend Andy with all my love and hope that you soon become 1′
“Numero uno were the only words I understood from our conversation.”

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DIEGO Maradona died just hours after telling his family he was feeling sick.
The Argentinian star, 60, passed away at his home in Buenos Aires two weeks after being released from hospital for a bleed on his brain.

According to reports, Maradona came down for breakfast yesterday morning looking pale and complaining about feeling cold. He told his nephew that he felt sick before returning to bed.
Shortly before midday a nurse went to check on him but was unable to rouse him. Paramedics were called but Maradona died before they arrived.
Three days of mourning have now been declared in Argentina, where President Alberto Fernandez said “You took us to the top of the world. You made us immensely happy. You were the greatest of all.”
Thousands of mourners have poured onto the streets of Buenos Aires, as well as in Naples in Italy where Maradona almost single-handedly took local club Napoli to the Serie A title twice in the late 1980s.

Follow our live blog below for the latest news and updates on Maradona’s death

MARADONA’S ‘HAND OF GOD’ SHIRT HELD IN MANCHESTER MUSEUM
The shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he ‘scored’ his infamous ‘hand of God’ goal against England is on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester.
It was loaned to them for exhibitions in 2003 by former England midfielder Steve Hodge, who swapped shirts with Maradona after the ‘Hand of God’ World Cup quarter-final in Mexico City 34 years ago.
“To have a Diego Maradona shirt on display would be amazing in itself but to have ‘the’ shirt, the one he wore on June 22, 1986 and scored those two goals, for us, is absolutely phenomenal,” Dickie Felton, spokesperson for the National Football Museum, said.
“Our visitors, they love it. It provokes so many talking points because it is ‘the’ shirt and it provokes so many memories of people watching the game all those years ago.
“We were very lucky and fortunate in that Steve Hodge loaned us this remarkable piece of football history. So many thousands of visitors have seen it over the years. It is an astonishing artefact.

FIFA SHOULD RETIRE NO. 10 SHIRT TO HONOUR MARADONA
Marseille manager Andre Villas-Boas has said FIFA should retire the No 10 jersey from all clubs in honour of Diego Maradona.
The Argentina star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all-time, died on Wednesday following a heart attack.
Following Marseille’s 2-0 defeat to Porto in the Champions League, Villas-Boas said: “Maradona, yes it is tough news, I would like FIFA to retire the No. 10 shirt in all competitions, for all teams.
“It would be the best homage we could do for him. He is an incredible loss for the world of football.”

1 MILLION PEOPLE EXPECTED AT MARADONA’S CASKET IN ARGENTINA
Thousands of fans are paying their final respects to Argentine football legend Diego Maradona at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires.
Three days of national mourning have begun in Argentina after the national hero died following a heart attack on Wednesday at the age of 60.
Some wept, others blew kisses and said prayers as they filed past the coffin being displayed at the Casa Rosada.
A million people are expected to visit his casket.

FANS PROCESS THROUGH THE STREETS
Fans make a line pass in front of Maradona’s coffin at Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

PLATINI CALLS MARADONA ‘THE GREATEST FOOTBALL LOVER’
France great Michel Platini, one of Diego Maradona’s fiercest rivals in the Italian league during the 1980s, called him “the greatest football lover there was.”
In a message to The Associated Press on Thursday, Platini added Maradona was a child king. “He was a bit excessive in all things, but the most important thing is that he was excessive on the pitch and it was beautiful.”
Platini, who is 65, and Maradona played against each other at club level at a time when the Italian league was arguably the best in the world. Maradona arrived at Napoli in 1984, two years after Platini signed with Juventus.
Maradona, who scored 115 goals for Napoli in 259 matches, helped the club challenge Juventus’ supremacy, winning its first two Serie A titles and the 1989 UEFA Cup.
Platini won two Italian leagues and the 1985 European Cup with Juventus. In his last season there, he was runner-up to Maradona when Napoli won its first Serie A in 1987.

CLASHES BETWEEN FANS AND COPS CONTINUE
Frustrated fans have continued to clash with cops as thousands of people lined up to pay their respects to the star.
Fans threw bottles and metal fences at police near the Casa Rosada in the heart of Buenos Aires.
The first to bid farewell were his daughters and close family members. Then came former teammates of the 1986 World Cup-winning squad including Oscar Ruggeri.
The first fan to visit was Nahuel de Lima, using crutches to move because of a disability. At the same time, a wave of people tried to get ahead and confronted police, who used tear gas to contain them.
Bodyguards were stopping fans from taking pictures and controlling access to the building. Many fans were breaking down as soon as they left.

FIRST PICTURE OF MARADONA’S COFFIN
Maradona’s body lay in a wooden coffin with the blue and white national flag and an Argentina soccer jersey with the number 10 that had been part of his nickname “D10S” – a play on “dios”, the Spanish word for God.
His body is currently lying in state at the Casa Rosada presidential palace draped in an Argentine flag and his famous no. 10 shirt, as part of three days of mourning.

INDIAN FANS GATHER TO HONOUR MARADONA
Fans of Maradona in India have paid homage to their footballing hero.
Hundreds of fans gathered in Kolkata.
The 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, which Maradona helped the Argentine team lift, was the first World Cup to be live telecast in India and his feats on the pitch won him a legion of supporters.
Maradona made people fall in love with Argentina,” said Samudra Bose, who was among the hundreds that gathered in Kolkata to pay respects.
“Before Maradona and the 1986 World Cup people were mostly fans of Brazil, but Maradona after the 1986 World Cup divided Kolkata in two halves.”
Maradona visited Kolkata twice and his connection with the city was cemented in 2017 when he personally unveiled a statue of himself holding the World Cup, in the presence of thousands of fans.

ARGENTINES BID FAREWELL TO MARADONA
Argentines lined up in the streets of Buenos Aires on Thursday to say goodbye to soccer great Diego Maradona, whose casket lay in state at the Casa Rosada presidential palace draped in an Argentine flag and his famous no. 10 shirt.
Maradona, Argentina’s favorite son whose life was marred by struggles with addiction, died aged 60 following a heart attack at home on Wednesday. Huge crowds are expected to pay their respects as part of three days of national mourning.
Early on Thursday, thousands were already forming a snaking line through the streets near the central Plaza de Mayo after a night of mourning and reminiscing. Some scuffles broke out as fans tried to get inside the palace to see their hero.
Maradona’s body lay in a wooden coffin with the blue and white national flag and an Argentina soccer jersey with the number 10 that had been part of his nickname “D10S” – a play on “dios”, the Spanish word for God.
Fans held back by a barrier threw things towards the casket, including soccer shirts, as they tried to get near the player, who had become a hero in Argentina and beyond both on and off the pitch despite his well-documented flaws.
“He was someone who touched the sky with his hands but never took his feet off the ground,” President Alberto Fernandez said on Wednesday.

SHILTON REMEMBERS THE ‘HAND OF GOD’ GOAL
Peter Shilton, the England goalkeeper beaten by Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, shared his memories of that game.
“For me as a goalkeeper there didn’t seem to be any danger,” he told Sky Sports News.
“He would have been offside but one of our own players, Steve Hodge, was put off balance, so he was trying to clear it and hooked it back.
“I had a split-second decision to make – do I stay on my line and let the world’s greatest player have an opportunity from 10 yards out or can I get there? I felt I could just get there, it was an instinct thing, but I was always second-best, I was always trying to catch up.
“I was diving a little bit flat. I knew I was going to get the ball, I think Maradona said in an interview the reason he punched it in with his hand was because he could see I was getting above him, and he couldn’t head it.
“He took a chance, it ended up in the back of the net and then he ran off to celebrate. You’re looking around waiting for the referee to blow his whistle as we did, and of course the rest is history.”

ANDY MURRAY SHARES MEMORY OF MARADONA
Andy Murray has shared the memory of his meeting with Maradona.
He wrote on Instagram: “I was lucky enough to meet Maradona once at the 02 arena. He had come to watch the tennis there. He spoke to me for a couple of minutes in Spanish with unbelievable energy, passion and expression.
“Unfortunately I barely understood a word but that didn’t seem to matter. He was diminutive in size but clearly a larger than life character/personality with a tonne of charisma.
“The following day I was given a signed Argentina (shirt) which he left for me that you can see in the 2nd picture which reads..’To my friend Andy with all my love and hope that you soon become 1′
“Numero uno were the only words I understood from our conversation.”

COPS AND MARADONA FANS CLASH
Diego Maradona fans and cops have clashed on the streets of Buenos Aires as the fans tried to enter the Government House to pay their respects.
Maradona’s coffin arrived at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires for a period of lying in state, TV reports showed, following the death of the Argentine football legend aged 60 on November 25.
Hundreds of people were already lining up to pay their respects to Maradona, who died while recovering from a brain operation.

MARADONA WAS ‘MESMERISING’ SAYS HENRY
Former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry wrote on Instagram: “It was like yesterday, being old enough to watch my first World Cup that I can remember (1986). He was mesmerising. It was his World Cup.
“There were so many more memories. It was an honour and privilege to watch and then meet one of the greatest footballers to have ever played the game.
“My thoughts are with all his family, friends and many admirers. RIP diegoarmandomaradona legend.”

ARGENTINE EMBASSY IN CHINA PAYS TRIBUTE TO MARADONA
The Argentine embassy in China has flown its flag at half-mast in a tribute to Diego Maradona.
The South American country has started three days of national mourning for one of football’s most-celebrated figures after he died from a heart attack.
The embassy in Beijing also played its part in honouring the footballer who died at the age of 60.

PELE PAYS TRIBUTE TO MARADONA
Pele has paid tribute to another footballing great Diego Maradona after the Argentine died at the age of 60.
The Brazilian, who won three World Cups, said: “One day, I hope we can play football together in the sky”.
Pele, 80, wrote on his official Twitter account: “What sad news. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend.
“There is still much to be said, but for now, may God give strength to family members. One day, I hope we can play football together in the sky.”

MARADONA’S BODY ARRIVES AT PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
Diego Maradona’s body has arrived at the presidential palace in Argentina as the country starts three days of mourning.
Huge crowds gathered as the legendary No 10’s body was lifted out of the ambulance and taken inside.
Large crowds have also gathered outside the Buenos Aires stadium where Maradona began his career and which has since been renamed in his honour, setting up a makeshift shrine to celebrate his life and career.

AUTOPSY CONFIRMS MARADONA DIED OF A HEART ATTACK
An autopsy report leaked to Argentine media said he died in his sleep after suffering heart failure, only two weeks after leaving hospital following surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain.   
Medics also detected dilated cardiomyopathy, a medical condition in which the heart muscle becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump enough blood to the rest of the body.

MARADONA WAS A ‘GOD’ SAYS ARDILES
Diego Maradona’s Argentina team mate Ossie Ardiles has said the footballer was a “god” not only in his home country but around the world.
The former Tottenham Hotspur star, who played with Maradona in the 1982 Argentine World Cup squad said: “He will be remembered as a genius in football.
“You can see the extraordinary amount of interest that he generates.
“People like [Juventus and Portugal striker] Ronaldo, or people like [Barcelona and Argentina forward] Messi, they couldn’t even dream of having this kind of admiration.
“That was the Maradona phenomenon – all the time.”

ARGENTINA STARTS THREE DAYS OF MOURNING
Argentina has started three days of mourning for Diego Maradona after the football start died at the age of 60.
His body will lie in state at the Casa Rosada, the presidential palace in Buenos Aires, during that time.
Fans have lined the streets of Buenos Aires as a hearse carried his coffin to a funeral parlour in the city.

IN PICTURES: THANK YOU COSMIC KITE
A masked Boca Juniors fan holds up a sign which reads: “Thank you Cosmic Kite”.
Diego Maradona, considered to be a legendary footballer, died aged 60 from a heart attack on November 25.

‘ONLY MARADONA WOULD DO KICK-UPS WITH A GOLF BALL IN HIS SUIT AND SHOES’
Former Spurs player Ossie Ardiles was great friends with Diego Maradona.
Ardiles was the translator when Maradona spoke at the Oxford Union in 1995.
Speaking to Sportsmail following Maradona’s death, Ossie said: “Here was Diego, on the same stage where Nelson Mandela and Ronald Reagan had stood.
“Suddenly, one guy shouts, ‘Can you do keepie-uppies with this?’, and he throws a golf ball towards us.
“’I’m thinking, ‘Oh no, he’s wearing a suit and brand new shoes, this will be difficult’,” he said.
“Diego pulls his trousers up and starts keeping the ball up.
“Boom, boom, boom. Easy. He then kicks it back to the guy with his heel. It was incredible. Only Diego.”

SNOOKER LEGEND SAYS MARADONA “SURPASSED WHAT WAS HUMANELY POSSIBLE”
In a glowing tribute, snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan said Diego Maradona “surpassed what was humanely possible”.
Maradona was renowned for his silky skills on the pitch, but known for his colourful lifestyle outside the stadium.
“He’s iconic,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport.
“Maradona, Muhammad Ali, Ayrton Senna, they left their mark on the world. They had the world in their hands. He was incredible.
“I have always said I would prefer a short and exciting life rather than a long and beige life. Maradona definitely had an exciting life.”

REF WHO MISSED ‘HAND OF GOD’ HAILS MARADONA AS ‘GENIUS’
Former referee Ali Bin Nasser, who presided over the 1986 quarter final between England and Argentina, hailed Diego Maradona as a “genius”.
Nasser said he missed Maradona’s controversial “hand of God” goal but described his second finish as a “masterpiece”.
In the 51st minute, the Argentine outjumped England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and punched the ball into the net, giving his side a 1-0 advantage.
“I didn’t see the hand, but I had a doubt,” Bin Nasser said.
“You can see the pictures — I stepped back to take the advice of my assistant, Bulgarian (Bogdan) Dochev, and when he said it was good, I gave the goal.”

FORMER SPURS AND CHELSEA MANAGER SAYS NO PLAYER SHOULD WEAR NO.10
Former Chelsea and Tottenham head coach Andre Villas-Boas believes FIFA should retire the No.10 shirt as a tribute to Diego Maradona, Goal reports.
The Argentine passed away on Wednesday after suffering a massive heart attack, aged 60.
“It is very bad news as well as the loss of a board member [at Porto] who was really important to me, who was the first person to open the door for me to the coaching world,” AVB said after Marseille’s 2-0 defeat to Porto.
“And Maradona yes it is tough news, I would like FIFA to retire the No.10 shirt in all competitions, for all teams.”

SIMEONE: ‘MARADONA WAS THE BEST’
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has paid tribute to his countryman Diego Maradona who died today.
Simeone played with Maradona during their time at Sevilla together in the mid 1990s as well as with the Argentine national team.
“A legend has left us,” the Atletico boss said after Madrid’s 0-0 draw with Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League.

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BARCELONA playmaker Lionel Messi has hailed Diego Maradona as “eternal” – as an autopsy looks set to reveal his cause of death.
The Hand of God legend died from a massive heart attack on November 25, aged 60.

Maradona – who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 – had a long history of bad health, battles with addiction and suffered extreme weight fluctuations over the past few decades.
Follow our live blog below for the latest news and updates on Maradona’s death

IN PICTURES: THANK YOU COSMIC KITE
A masked Boca Juniors fan holds up a sign which reads: “Thank you Cosmic Kite”.
Diego Maradona, considered to be a legendary footballer, died aged 60 from a heart attack on November 25.

‘ONLY MARADONA WOULD DO KICK-UPS WITH A GOLF BALL IN HIS SUIT AND SHOES’
Former Spurs player Ossie Ardiles was great friends with Diego Maradona.
Ardiles was the translator when Maradona spoke at the Oxford Union in 1995.
Speaking to Sportsmail following Maradona’s death, Ossie said: “Here was Diego, on the same stage where Nelson Mandela and Ronald Reagan had stood.
“Suddenly, one guy shouts, ‘Can you do keepie-uppies with this?’, and he throws a golf ball towards us.
“’I’m thinking, ‘Oh no, he’s wearing a suit and brand new shoes, this will be difficult’,” he said.
“Diego pulls his trousers up and starts keeping the ball up.
“Boom, boom, boom. Easy. He then kicks it back to the guy with his heel. It was incredible. Only Diego.”

SNOOKER LEGEND SAYS MARADONA “SURPASSED WHAT WAS HUMANELY POSSIBLE”
In a glowing tribute, snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan said Diego Maradona “surpassed what was humanely possible”.
Maradona was renowned for his silky skills on the pitch, but known for his colourful lifestyle outside the stadium.
“He’s iconic,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport.
“Maradona, Muhammad Ali, Ayrton Senna, they left their mark on the world. They had the world in their hands. He was incredible.
“I have always said I would prefer a short and exciting life rather than a long and beige life. Maradona definitely had an exciting life.”

REF WHO MISSED ‘HAND OF GOD’ HAILS MARADONA AS ‘GENIUS’
Former referee Ali Bin Nasser, who presided over the 1986 quarter final between England and Argentina, hailed Diego Maradona as a “genius”.
Nasser said he missed Maradona’s controversial “hand of God” goal but described his second finish as a “masterpiece”.
In the 51st minute, the Argentine outjumped England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and punched the ball into the net, giving his side a 1-0 advantage.
“I didn’t see the hand, but I had a doubt,” Bin Nasser said.
“You can see the pictures — I stepped back to take the advice of my assistant, Bulgarian (Bogdan) Dochev, and when he said it was good, I gave the goal.”

FORMER SPURS AND CHELSEA MANAGER SAYS NO PLAYER SHOULD WEAR NO.10
Former Chelsea and Tottenham head coach Andre Villas-Boas believes FIFA should retire the No.10 shirt as a tribute to Diego Maradona, Goal reports.
The Argentine passed away on Wednesday after suffering a massive heart attack, aged 60.
“It is very bad news as well as the loss of a board member [at Porto] who was really important to me, who was the first person to open the door for me to the coaching world,” AVB said after Marseille’s 2-0 defeat to Porto.
“And Maradona yes it is tough news, I would like FIFA to retire the No.10 shirt in all competitions, for all teams.”

SIMEONE: ‘MARADONA WAS THE BEST’
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has paid tribute to his countryman Diego Maradona who died today.
Simeone played with Maradona during their time at Sevilla together in the mid 1990s as well as with the Argentine national team.
“A legend has left us,” the Atletico boss said after Madrid’s 0-0 draw with Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League.

MORE PICTURES FROM SEVILLE

IN PICTURES: SEVILLA STADIUM LIT IN COLOURS OF ARGENTINE FLAG
This picture shows the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville, Spain, lit in the colours of the Argentine flag.
Maradona played for Sevilla during the 1992-93 season.

IN PICTURES: TRAFFIC SIGN IN BUENOS AIRES PAYS TRIBUTE

SHILTON: ‘MARADONA HAD GREATNESS, BUT NO SPORTSMANSHIP’
Diego Maradona had greatness in him, but lacked sportsmanship, former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton claims.
The goalkeeper was between the sticks during England’s infamous 1986 World Cup quarter final against Argentina.
The clash saw Maradona infamously punch the ball past Shilton to score.
The ex-goalie, writing in the Mail, said: “What I don’t like is that he never apologised.
“Never at any stage did he say he had cheated and that he would like to say sorry. Instead, he used his ‘Hand of God’ line. That wasn’t right.
“It seems he had greatness in him but sadly no sportsmanship.”

AGUERO TRIBUTE
Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero tweeted: “We are never going to forget you. You will always be with us graciasdiego RIP.

WHEN MARADONA CAME TO LEICESTER
Although Diego Maradona didn’t don a Leicester City shirt, he made an impact on his visit to the East Midlands city in 2015.
He visited the King Power stadium to cheer on his beloved Argentina in the Rugby World Cup against Tonga, Leicestershire Live reports.
Thankfully, Argentina breezed to a 45-16 victory.
Current Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers paid tribute to the Argentine: “It’s a great shock. When the new comes through, you reflect on him and his career.
“I’ve always said he was an idol of mine growing up, what an immense talent he was. It’s just so sad because 60 years of age nowadays seems so young.
“It’s obviously a very sad day for everyone involved in football.”

‘I DON’T FEEL WELL’
Diego Maradona’s last words before he died were “I don’t feel well,” according to reports.
The ex-footballer went back to bed after having breakfast and telling nephew Johnny Esposito he didn’t feel well and was going to lie down again.
A nurse who was looking after Maradona following his release from hospital after his brain scan op phoned for an ambulance and several responded.
One described how he had awoken in the morning looking pale and complaining of feeling cold.
He went back to bed after a quick breakfast where he is said to have pronounced his last words: “Me siento mal’ – English for ‘I don’t feel well.”

MARADONA: THE RECORD BREAKER
Diego Maradona was unquestionably one of the most iconic footballers of all time.
He enjoyed a record-breaking sports career… quite literally.
His first Guinness world record came in 1978 while playing for the Argentinos Juniors as the youngest ever goal scorer in the top flight.
He broke the record for the most number of appearances at a FIFA World Cup as captain – 16 (between 1982 and 1994).
He shares the record for the most number of goals scored in a World Cup as captain with Tottenham striker Harry Kane (6).

GRIEVING SUPPORTERS IN NAPLES AND BUENOS AIRES
Tonight, two cities – Naples and Buenos Aires – are grieving along with the rest of the football community.
Maradona is considered a legend in Napoli folklore as he helped the club win the Serie A title twice between 1984 and 1991.
He also helped the club win domestic silverware and a European trophy.
The Argentine led his national team to victory in the 1986 World Cup which was held in Mexico.

FANS GATHER OUTSIDE NAPOLI’S STADIUM
Supporters have been gathering outside the San Paolo stadium in Napoli, Italy this evening following the news of Diego Maradona’s passing.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has tonight admitted that he could change the name of the stadium in honour of Maradona.
He said: “We can consider the idea of calling our stadium San Paolo-Diego Armanda Maradona.”
Maradona played for Napoli between 1984 and 1991, scoring 115 goals in 259 games.
He led them to two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990, as well as the 1987 Italian Cup and 1989 UEFA Cup.

IN PICTURES: MORE FANS PAYING TRIBUTE IN BUENOS AIRES

AN ASTONISHING ADMISSION
Diego Maradona spelled out while he was still alive the message he wanted engraved on his tombstone.
The late football legend made the astonishing admission in a TV interview 15 years ago in which he quizzed himself.
The Argentine icon, being interviewed for the show he presented at the time called La Noche del 10, said that ‘getting old with his grandchildren would mean a peaceful death’ for him.
What message did Maradona want engraving on his tombstone?
Find out HERE.

A FINAL FAREWELL
This is believed to be the final picture taken of Diego Maradona before he passed away, aged 60.
Tributes have poured in from around the world following the death of the legendary Argentine footballer.
Maradona passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest just two weeks after undergoing brain surgery.
After being released from hospital, he was expected to continue treatment for alcohol dependency.
But the last known picture of Maradona shows the 60-year-old smiling in his hospital bed.
In the snap, the football icon is wearing a hospital gown and has a huge plaster on his head.

MAD SKILLS
Diego Maradona’s iconic pre-match ball-jugging routine will be replicated for years to come.
The incredible clip has been doing the rounds on social media following the Argentine legend’s death.
Maradona had a stellar career but it was what he did before gracing the field that sometimes proved to be most special.
And his warm-up before Napoli’s second-leg Uefa Cup semi-final against Bayern Munich in 1989 is the best of the bunch.
Take a look HERE.

A CELEBRATION OF HIS LIFE
Fans of renowned footballer Diego Maradona have congregated outside La Bombonera stadium in La Boca, Buenos Aires.
Maradona joined Boca in 1981 and scored twice in his debut for the club just days later.
He scored in his first SuperClasico match against bitter rivals River Plate, helping Boca to a 3-0 victory.
Boca won the league title in 1981 and Maradona departed for Barcelona in 1982.

IN PICTURES: MOURNERS GATHER TO PAY HOMAGE IN NAPLES

IN PICTURES: TRIBUTES FROM EL SALVADOR

BECKS PAYS TRIBUTE
David Beckham has posted a photo of himself with Diego Maradona on his Instagram page.
He said: “A sad day for Argentina and a sad day for football as we celebrate the greatness of what this man gave us…
“Someone that played with passion, spirit and was nothing less than a pure genius.
“I was so excited to meet Diego and we will all miss him. Rest in Peace.”

PLAYERS OBSERVE SILENCE AT THE WANDA METROPOLITANO AND THE SAN SIRO

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