Biographic - Sunday November 17, 2019 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

A New HBO documentary chronicles the spectacular fall from grace of one of the greatest players in the history of soccer. Born on October 30, 1969 Diego Armando Maradona emerged from a slum Shantytown on the outskirts of buenos aires to conquer the world. "The Golden Boy" made his debut at the age of 15, becoming the youngest player in the history of the Argentine primera division. In 1982, Spain's Barcelona paid a world record $7.6 million transfer fee to sign the 21-year-old superstar. Two years later, Napoli smashed that record to acquire his talents. The investment paid off, Maradona inspiring the club to the first two Italian Championships in their history. In Naples, Maradona was adored by all, a living diety. Having first represented his country at the age of 16, he led Argentina to glory in the 1986 world cup final. But at the height of his fame and glory, he began to spiral out of control. His wild lifestyle began to make a toll and after serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug test, he left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. His international career ended in ignominy when he was kicked out of the 1994 world cup after testing positive for a banned substance. Health issues and legal woes continued to plague him for many years, and his legions of fans feared for his life. He eventually weathered the worst of it, and despite ongoing health problems, he has spent the last decade in management, steering Argentina to the 2010 world cup and helming teams in the middle east and Mexico.

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