Diego Maradona: the Dubai Years podcast - The Pope, Fidel Castro, second-division Thierry Henry, and El Diego

In the fifth and final episode of our podcast series looking at Diego Maradona's time in the Middle East, hosts John McAuley and Paul Radley try and piece together the contrasting facets of his personality.

We hear stories from some of the people who were closest to him during his time in Dubai, where he spent seven of the final 10 years of his life.

Like the time he gave a little bit of advice to the Pope. And how he thought the likes of Thierry Henry and Alessandro del Piero were second-rate fill-ins for him.

And how his time spent with Fidel Castro in Cuba helped inform his view of the Palestinian cause.

Even though Maradona could be extremely temperamental, everyone who got to know the Argentine considered themselves incredibly fortunate to spend time with a true one-off.

Listen to Part 1: Football's greatest name lands at Al Wasl
Listen to Part 2: The one-man hurricanes makes his presence known
Listen to Part 3: Rival, teammate, and five-a-side firebrand
Listen to Part 4: Managing the burden of expectation

Expert input

If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?

“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett

“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche

“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox

“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite

“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy

“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions

Diego Maradona: the Dubai Years podcast - The Pope, Fidel Castro, second-division Thierry Henry, and El Diego

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