Ajax's Tagliafico imitates Diego Maradona's iconic 1989 UEFA Cup semi-final warm-up

Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico paid the ultimate tribute to Diego Maradona by mimicking the late footballer's iconic pre-match warm-up routine ahead of the Dutch side's UCL clash against FC Midtjylland. Maradona, who tragically died after a heart attack on Wednesday, wowed fans inside the Olympiastadion stadium in Berlin in 1989 as he danced and performed juggling tricks with the ball prior to Napoli's UEFA Cup semi-final clash against Bayern Munich.

The song, 'Live is Life' by Opus blared around the stadium at the time as Maradona showed his class with the ball and Tagliafico attempted to do the same at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Wednesday. 

ALSO READ: Maradona Death: Thousands Of Fans gather In The streets Of Buenos Aires To Pay Tribute

Nicolas Tagliafico pays tribute to Diego Maradona by mimicking late footballer's famous warm-up

Prior to Ajax's Matchday 4 UCL Group D clash against FC Midtjylland on Wednesday, Nicolas Taglifico paid a special tribute to his fellow Argentinian, Diego Maradona, who passed away just a few hours earlier. In a video clip posted by Ajax on Twitter, Tagliafico is seen dancing and shaking his body while attempting to juggle the ball during his pre-match warm-up session. Ajax also played the same 'Live is Life' song during the warm-up. 

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Maradona's epic warm-up, which took place on April 19, 1989, saw the Argentine flawlessly juggle the ball ahead of Napoli's UEFA Cup semi-final clash against Bayern Munich. The World Cup winner performed a series of juggling skills to the rhythm of the music, using his knees, head, chest and shoulders to balance the ball. His shoelaces were also untied during the show but the crowd were too focused on his ability and skill to notice.

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Although Tagliafico lacked the finesse and flashy touches of Maradona, his tribute brought a smile on many fans' faces across the globe. The 28-year-old was also visibly emotional when there was a moment's silence in honour of Maradona before the game. Tagliafico later took to social media to post a heartfelt message for Maradona. 

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Diego Maradona death: How did the Argentine legend die?

Only a few weeks after undergoing successful brain surgery, Diego Maradona was at his home in Buenos Aires. However, on Wednesday morning, a nurse came up to check on him found the two-time Serie A champion unresponsive in his bed. Maradona was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead. It was later confirmed that he had gone into cardiac arrest. 

Image Credits - Nicolas Tagliafico, Napoli Twitter