Published 17:53 IST, November 26th 2020
Ravi Shastri thanks Diego Maradona for the joy and exhilarating moments on football field
Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has thanked Diego Maradona for the joy and exhilarating moments he had given on the football field during his playing days
The head coach of the Indian cricket team Ravi Shastri came forward and offered his last respects to arguably the biggest footballer to have represented Argentina Diego Maradonna who passed away on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack.
'Thanks a ton!': Ravi Shastri
Taking to the micro-blogging site, Shastri thanked the late football megastar for the joy and exhilarating moments that he had given everyone during his playing days. The former all-rounder then mentioned that the Argentine great was someone who made the ball meditate on his feet. The former commentator/cricket pundit concluded by terming Diego as 'Probably the greatest to have ever graced the game of Football'.
Passionate fans crowd the streets of Buenos Aires to take a glimpse of their late hero
Meanwhile, Argentina has declared three days of national mourning in memory of the 1986 World Cup winner. The mobs had gathered on the streets of the nation's capital i.e. Buenos Aires to catch a glimpse of the legendary footballer who had led them to that famous World Cup triumph in 1986. The passionate fans are trying their level best to take one last look at one of their late national icons in tight security where officials are directing the visitors to maintain social distance in order to avoid overcrowding.
Diego Maradona's impact in the world of football
Widely regarded as one of the best players, Maradona played for notable clubs including Barcelona, Napoli, and Sevilla. Also known as the Golden Boy, he was the first-ever player in history to notch the world record transfer fee twice. Maradona represented Argentina in 91 international fixtures and also played four FIFA World Cups. He led the team to victory in the 1986 World Cup where he also won the Golden Ball.
Popular for the first goal he scored in the quarter-final of the 1986 World Cup against England, wherein he scored with his hand, and it went on to be known as the 'Hand of God'. The second goal which he scored was voted as the 'Goal of the Century' as dribbled past 5 England players to find the back of the net.
At the club level, Maradona led Napoli to its first-ever Serie A title in 1987 which he followed with a second trophy in 1990 and also brought home the Italian Cup in 1987 and 1991. Such was his impact that Napoli in 2000 announced that they were retiring his number 10 shirt at the club.
Updated 17:53 IST, November 26th 2020