Skip to Content

Diego Maradona receives hero’s welcome — and a throne — on return to former club

Luciano Bisbal/Getty Images

Even by Diego Maradona’s flamboyant standards, it was a night to remember.

The Argentine football legend received a hero’s welcome Tuesday on his return to former club Newell’s Old Boys — for which he only played a handful of games in the twilight of his career — despite arriving as the coach of opposition team Gimnasia.

Before the match, Maradona was presented with an array of gifts, including a painting of himself playing for Newell’s, a piece of artwork of his face, a customized captain’s armband with the word “Dios” (God) written on it — the ‘i’ and ‘o’ replaced with his famous No. 10 — and a club shirt.

READ: Sex, drugs and soccer — Diego Maradona film shines light on Napoli years

READ: How Diego Maradona redefined football in the space of less than five minutes

Not forgetting a throne emblazoned with his face, which he of course signed and sat on instead of the bench.

The welcome Maradona received from Newell’s fans would have been enough to make a rock star blush, as the 42,000 capacity crowd inside the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa sang his name and provided a rhythm to which he obligingly danced.

“The pearls of Newell’s tribute that made Diego Maradona cry,” wrote Argentine online news site Infobae.

With a play on the city name of Rosario, the home of Newell’s, Newspaper La Nacion said: “A Rosary of emotions: Newell’s tribute, Diego Maradona’s tears and the autographed throne.”

You’d be forgiven for assuming this was an exhibition match or a testimonial, rather than a competitive Argentine first division clash — but it was most certainly the latter.

Perhaps all the pre-match fawning became a distraction for the home side, as Newell’s — in contention for the title after 10 games — suffered a shock 4-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Gimnasia, only its second win of the season.

Maradona took over the ailing side in September and after overseeing three consecutive defeats, he has since guided the team to two wins in its last three matches.

Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

CNN

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KTVZ NewsChannel 21 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content