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World Cup History: Diego Maradona & Daniel Passarella
In the build-up to Germany ’06, Dave Taylor looks at players with Italian connections who’ve lifted or come close to the ultimate prize. Here we look at two Argentine heroes who won football’s greatest prize as captain – former Fiorentina and Inter defender Daniel Passarella and Napoli legend Diego Maradona |
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Follow the leader
Every side needs a great leader, a player who can inspire and urge his teammates on when they are feeling down. In Daniel Passarella and Diego Maradona, Argentina have been lucky enough to have two. The dynamic duo led their country through five successive World Cups from 1978 to 1994, winning two of them on the way.
Born in Buenos Aires in March 1953, Passarella was a little man with a massive heart, whose strategic sense as a sweeper relied on a superb positional judgement and massive self-belief. Under enormous pressure from the ruling military government, he led his country to their first ever World Cup success in 1978. Four years later he was in the side knocked out by eventual tournament winners Italy.
Despite that disappointment, his excellent form - along with an honour-laden spell with River Plate - attracted Fiorentina. The Tuscan giants signed El Gran Capitan and he was a phenomenal success, scoring 26 goals in over 100 appearances. In 1986 he moved to Inter, but he could not inspire them to Lo Scudetto and returned to Argentina after two seasons.
Passarella won every honour in his homeland and after this success it needed an incredible player to step into his shoes. Fortunately, the Argentines had been blessed with a player by the name of Diego Armando Maradona. He won his first cap against Hungary in January 1977 as a 16-year-old while with Argentinos Juniors. However, by the time of the 1982 World Cup Finals Argentina were an aging team and even with Diego’s magic they crashed out in the second group stage. Shortly after he would return to Spain, who hosted the ’82 tournament, to join Barcelona from Boca Juniors.
Two years later, having failed to fulfil his potential, Diego left the Nou Camp for Napoli and quickly began to show the sort of unfettered magic that the Azzurri tifosi loved. In the next World Cup – held in Mexico in 1986 – Diego showed the rest of the world that he was simply unstoppable as his side met England in the quarter-finals.
In Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, with the 25-year-old magician at the peak of his skills, his two goals in the 2-1 win showed all the nerve, extreme cheek and impossible skill, that is referred to as ‘gambetta’ in Argentina. This phenomenon was seen in its purity in the famous ‘Hand of God’ incident. “I like this goal – I felt I was pick-pocketing the English,” he said later.
To England fans it was a disgraceful act of cheating, but the flexible rules of the back streets state that anything goes – as long as the referee doesn't say otherwise. This is especially true in Naples, where such flexibility extends well beyond football. Diego’s other goal against the Three Lions was chosen by FIFA as the Goal of the Century in 2002 as Diego ‘gambeted’ the entire England team, taking out six players in a dazzling solo effort that sent the Argentine fans into ecstasy.
After leading his side past Belgium in the semi-finals with a brace, Diego and Co met West Germany in the Final. With the score at 2-2, his superbly placed pass in the 83rd minute allowed Jose Burruchaga to slip the ball past the German goalkeeper for the winning goal.
Back in Napoli, the Maradona-inspired southern giants went on to lift their first ever Scudetto, along with the Coppa Italia, in 1987. It did not stop there though, as a fabulous Diego inspired them to consecutive second place finishes and a UEFA Cup success, before winning the Scudetto again a month before he left to defend the World Cup title at Italia ‘90. Despite some lacklustre performances, Argentina still reached the Final to face West Germany once again. Maradona was brutally marked out of the game and the holders were defeated 1-0.
By the time USA ’94 came around, Diego had left Naples and was back slim and sharp. After scoring in Argentina’s group opener against Greece, he then failed a drug test after the game against Nigeria. He was handed an immediate ban and it was the beginning of the end for Diego. Yet today Il Pibe has once again returned to the world stage after beating a terrible cocaine addiction and is still worshipped in Naples, where they have never again witnessed so many highs.
Never ask how did it all go wrong with Diego – the question is, how did it all go right? How could such an amazing talent, such utter brilliance and diamond point precision be produced in one single man to such a level of distinction and delicacy?
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