It was May 1980, when England international friendlies still brought a surge of excitement to the capital – a capacity crowd of 92,000 at the old Wembley Stadium.
On this late spring Tuesday night, England were hosting Argentina. These games were rare – only the third time the teams had met since the 1966 World Cup.
While the vast majority of fans were there to cheer on the Three Lions, there was one player of special interest.
Those standing on the terraces were craning their necks to take a look. A precocious teenager, read about on the newspaper back pages rather than seen, a phenomenon that needed to be checked out.
Diego Armando Maradona.
Just 19 years old and already the South American player of the year – and now in an Argentina team that had won the World Cup so breathtakingly on home soil two years previously.
That was the Argentina of Mario Kempes, of Osvaldo Ardiles and Daniel Passarella and Alberto Tarantini.
Some were still in the side at Wembley, but it was soon apparent this was the start of an Argentina orchestrated by Maradona.
England might have won that night, but there was enough of Maradona’s incredible talent on display to leave onlookers wide-eyed.
We had our England heroes – Kevin Keegan, Trevor Brooking, Stevie Coppell – but nothing like this curly-haired whirlwind of trickery.
It wasn’t usual for a partisan crowd to applaud an opposing player. But when that player leaves you spellbound, that’s just what transpired.
What a career was to unfold after that night.
World Cup winner at 25. A trophy lifted almost single-handedly such was the power of his performance. Back in his homeland he was worshipped. so much so that a group of fans created the Church of Maradona in devotion.
Honours with Boca Juniors in South America, with Barcelona in Spain and Napoli in Italy.
Controversy by the bucket load. Not just breaking the hearts of England fans with his ‘hand of God’ goal, but the off-field misdemeanours, the self-administered excesses that have taken such a heavy toll on his health.
From winning the World Cup in 1986, to being sent home after failing a drugs test eight years later. The tears and the tantrums. The genius.
Since retiring, the ballooning weight, the many and continuing forays into management, including in the UAE, the spotlight never far away. Rubbing shoulders with politicians and superstars. Maradona has never really stopped being the player.
Football fans often debate the greatest of all time, whether it be Pele, Johan Cruyff, Cristiano Ronaldo, Maradona, George Best, Lionel Messi. It is an argument that can never be resolved.
All were and are footballers of spellbinding talent.
None have had quite the impact of that May night in London 40 years ago. A night when a winning England came second to a teenage star.
And now he has gone too soon. RIP Diego Maradona.
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Scoreline
Australia 2-1 Thailand
Australia: Juric 69', Leckie 86'
Thailand: Pokklaw 82'
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,200 metres
Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Younis Kalbani (trainer)
5.30pm: UAE Arabian Derby (PA) | Prestige | Dh150,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Octave, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 (PA) | Group 3 Dh300,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Harrab, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Ali
6.30pm: Emirates Championship (PA) | Group 1 | Dh1million | 2,200m
Winner: BF Mughader, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (TB) | Group 3 | Dh380,000 | 2,200m
Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) | Conditions | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF La’Asae, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
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PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
More on Quran memorisation:
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
