'My crazy life as Diego Maradona's translator in the UAE'

Tariq Al-Sharabi’s life was turned upside down when he was asked to translate for the next manager of Al Wasl ... a certain World Cup-winning Argentinian. As told to Paul Radley

Tariq Al-Sharabi with Diego Maradona in his Villa in Dubai. All images courtesy of Tariq Al-Sharabi

Tariq Al-Sharabi with Diego Maradona, Peter Reid, second right, and Trevor Sinclair, right. Courtesy Tariq Al-Sharabi

Tariq Al-Sharabi gives his condolences to Maradona after the death of his mother.

Tariq Al-Sharabi with Diego Maradona at his unveiling press conference.

Diego Maradona pretends to be asleep during Tariq Al-Sharabi's translation.

Tariq Al-Sharabi and Diego Maradona at a pre-match press conference.

Tariq Al-Sharabi and Diego Maradona at a post-match press conference.

Diego Maradona pretends to sleep at another press conference.

Diego Maradona kisses his phone when he took a call from his grandson during a press conference.

When Diego Maradona arrived in Dubai, he was off the grid. He had just had a bad time with the Argentina national team at the 2010 World Cup and he was off the radar.

Then he arrived at Al Wasl and you quickly realise he never disappeared from people’s hearts.

Suddenly, the entire world wanted to know what he was up to in Dubai. It was a crazy time, a surreal period that I count myself lucky to have been there for.

We had started working on Al Wasl’s PR a month before, just basic stuff. Then I got a text message – an SMS because WhatsApp wasn’t introduced here in the UAE yet – saying: “Dear Tariq. Please prepare yourself, because you will be announcing the appointment of Diego Maradona as our coach.”

You just don’t get messages like that. Ever. No meeting to discuss a plan for it. Just a casual text message. I replied to say: “Let’s be serious. What is the actual announcement?”

I was told Maradona was coming to look at the ground, and that eventually he would be appointed. I could not believe it. I had to keep it hushed, but people started making news about it, so we had to make the announcement sooner.

Suddenly, I was preparing to manage the biggest press conference I’d ever even been to in my life. That was how it started.

Then it somehow just happened that I became associated with every one of his press conferences, translating. It was not planned at all.

Fifteen minutes before the first pre-match press conference, I told the club that a lot of RSVPs had come from English press, so we needed a translator. They said: “Tariq, please, you do the translation into English.”

I said OK. It was quite an overwhelming experience. I had never done something like that before. I had Diego on my left. I was looking out at a minimum of 12 TV cameras, jam-packed next to each other in a small room.

People were all over each other, sat on the floor, and there had never been so many microphones at Al Wasl.

The Spanish to Arabic translator started to talk and I didn’t realise how much Diego spoke. I didn’t even have a pen and paper in front of me. I was trying to keep track of what he was saying in my mind. I started speaking and luckily the journalists were very happy and appreciative. Diego was happy, too, then after that, we started perfecting it.

I started to sit with Diego before and after each match, giving him the heads up of what to expect, updates on things he might be asked. But he never really cared. He just said: “Let them ask what they want.”

Sometimes he would say: “Tariq, at the end of today, ask me if I have anything to add. Remember that.”

He would want to get something across and he would worry that the media would not ask him about it, as it was nothing to do with Al Wasl v Al Wahda, for example.

I did that one day and he pretended he wasn’t prepared. Then he said: “Yes, there is something I do want to add.”

It was about Pele. I was always intrigued when he spoke about Pele. I was always evaluating whether they would take jabs at each other because they genuinely dislike each other, because each one thinks they are the greatest.

Or do they have this cunning plan between them because they thought, with [Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Neymar around, people might forget about them, and the best way to stay in the limelight was to continue like this?

It was very funny. You would see pictures of them hugging each other, then the next day they were taking jabs at each other. This time, he wanted to say something.

He said: “There’s this guy, I don’t know if you know him, his name is Pele. He has come out saying Neymar is better than Messi.

“Now, listen. I have no doubt that Neymar is a phenomenal footballer. But please, let’s not compare anyone to Messi. There is no debate there.

“The reason this is happening is because Pele takes pills. He has a night pill and a morning pill. Sometimes he mixes them up.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Gallery: Maradona's time as Dubai Sports's Council's Ambassador

Diego Maradona thrilled the crowd at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in 2013 when he took to Centre Court to hit a few balls with fellow Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro. EPA

Diego Maradona and Juan Martin Del Potro have a conversation at the net during the 2013 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Del Potro was among the thousands of people to pay tribute to Maradona when he wrote on social media: "For me you will never die." Reuters

Diego Maradona met women's tennis star Caroline Wozniacki during the 2013 WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. They exchanged gifts, with Wozniacki presenting Maradona with a tennis racquet while receiving a signed Argentina shirt featuring the famous 'Maradona 10'. Getty Images

Diego Maradona and Caroline Wozniacki also posed for selfies during their meeting at the 2013 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. Getty Images

In his role as Dubai Sports Council ambassador, Diego Maradona attended the 2014 UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series in Naples - the city where he earned legendary status having led Napoli to the most successful era in the club's history. Courtesy: XCAT World Series

Diego Maradona had the chance to climb inside an XCAT powerboat at the 2014 UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series in Naples. Courtesy: XCAT World Series

Diego Maradona spoke to XCAT pilots and members of the media during his trip to Naples in 2014 for the UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series. Courtesy: XCAT World Series

Diego Maradona during his visit to Naples for the 2014 UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series. Courtesy: XCAT World Series

Diego Maradona during his visit to Naples for the 2014 UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series. Courtesy: XCAT World Series

Diego Maradona attended the opening ceremony of the 2015 Dubai Tour. Cyclists Stefano Pirazzi, left, and Nicola Ruffoni, right, grabbed the opportunity to take a selfie with the football legend. Getty Images

Diego Maradona met with local organisers and attendees when he attended the team presentations ahead of the 2016 Dubai Tour. Getty Images

Diego Maradona was in attendance for the men's final at the PSA Dubai World Series Finals in 2016. Colombian squash player Miguel Angel Rodriguez posed for a photo with Maradona. Getty Images

Diego Maradona during his appearance at the 2016 PSA Dubai World Series Finals, where he spoke to Colombian squash player Miguel Angel Rodriguez. Getty Images

Diego Maradona in 2013 during his introduction as Dubai Sports Council's Honorary Ambassador. AP

Diego Maradona attended the Beach Polo Cup Dubai in 2015. Here he is speaking to Beach Polo founder Sam Katiela. Courtesy Beach Polo Cup Dubai

Diego Maradona acted as a judge on football talent TV show 'The Victorious', which was filmed at Dubai Sports City, in 2014. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Diego Maradona during his time as a judge on 'The Victorious' football talent show in 2014, alongside former Egyptian footballer Hany Ramzy, left, and former Spanish footballer Michel Salgado. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Diego Maradona, unsurprisingly, was the star of the football talent TV show 'The Victorious' as he took on the role as judge trying to discover footballers from the region. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Diego Maradona during the 2014 Dubai Tour. Christopher Pike / The National

Diego Maradona, all suited and booted, attended the 2012 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse. Pawan Singh / The National

Diego Maradona made an appearance at the 2012 Beach Soccer Championship. Here he is being greeted by VIPs and invited guests during the UAE v Nigeria game. Mike Young / The National

Diego Maradona was on hand at the 2016 Dubai Tour alongside Said Harb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, and Sheikh Mansour, the son of the ruler of Dubai, during the trophy presentation. Marwan Naamani / The National

_______________________________________________________________________

The journalists wrote this up and people started going crazy. I had to translate all that. He was speaking in Spanish and I didn’t know what he was saying until the Arabic guy had translated.

As he was translating, I was thinking in my head: “Oh my gosh. I’m going to have to say all this stuff about Pele now!”

There was always an entertaining moment with him. I did have to filter what he said a couple of times, but only a couple.

For someone with his spikiness and his charisma, I was worried at the beginning. But, in a year-and-a-half, he did not do anything that was completely wild, or unmanageable.

Yes, he would talk about world politics, Argentina, Messi, Pele, the Champions League, a million things.

But he loved it here. He loved Dubai, he loved the club, he loved the fans, he loved the journalists, and even became friends with a number of them.

The process of translating from Spanish to Arabic to English was time consuming, and at one press conference I was talking, and he pretended to fall asleep.

He was snoring, and I could hear him. What was I supposed to do? It was him who had spoken for five minutes. They used the picture of him asleep in Al Ittihad newspaper.

He played the role, and did not go out of character. When I was finished I had to nudge him, and say: “Diego?” He woke up and said in Spanish: “Are you done?”

_______________________________________________________________________

Gallery: Argentina in mourning

A fan cries as she pays homage to Maradona at Argentinos Juniors' Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in La Paternal, Buenos Aires, in November. AFP

Football fans surround the hearse carrying the coffin of Diego Maradona as it arrives at a funeral parlour in Buenos Aires. AP

A father and daughter mourn as they gather by the Buenos Aires Obelisk to pay homage to Maradona. AFP

People gather to mourn the death of football legend Diego Maradona, outside the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Reuters

A fan mourns the death of Diego Maradona, outside the Alberto J. Armando "La Bombonera" stadium, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Reuters

A fan mourns the death of Diego Maradona, at the Marcelo Bielsa stadium, in Rosario, Argentina, Reuters

Fans hold a vigil for Maradona outside the stadium of Argentinos Juniors, where he started as a professional footballer, in Buenos Aires. AP

A boy touches a mural of Maradona outside the Argentinos Juniors stadium. AP

Ffans carry a banner of Maradona in downtown Buenos Aires. AP

A man wearing a shirt with the face of Maradona cries outside the stadium of the Argentinos Juniors. AP

A sign reaing "Thank You Diego' hangs at the gate of the presidential palace in Buenos Aires. AP

Fans pay tribute to Maradona after the news of his death was announced in Buenos Aires. Getty

Fans cry for Maradona after the news of his death, Getty

Supporters gather at the door of the judicial morgue, in the town of San Fernando. EPA

Police guard at the door of the judicial morgue, in the town of San Fernando, Buenos Aires province. EPA

A fan with a Maradona face mask and motorcycle helmet at La Bombonera Stadium in Buenos Aires. Getty

People gather to mourn the death of Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona outside San Paolo stadium in Naples, Italy. Reuters

People gather to mourn the death of soccer legend Maradona, outside the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, in Buenos Aires. Reuters

Fans gather at Obelisk of Buenos Aires to mourn and pay tribute to Maradona. Getty

The back window of a car displays 'So long, God'. Getty

Fans gather to pay tribute to Maradona at the entrance of his former house in the corner of Segurola and Habana in Buenos Aires. Getty

A fan lights a candle to pay tribute to Maradona at the entrance of his former house in Buenos Aires. Getty

Tributes to Maradona at the entrance of his former house in Buenos Aires. Getty

Independiente's coach Lucas Pusineri wears a black armband in memory of Maradona before a Copa Sudamericana match against Uruguay's Fenix in Montevideo, Uruguay. AP

The Beira-Rio stadium with the colours of Argentina in tribute to Maradona in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Reuters

A fan holds a jersey reading 'Today football died' as fans gather to pay tribute to Diego Maradona at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Getty

Fireworks are let off and a screen displays the No 10 as a tribute to Maradona at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Getty

_______________________________________________________________________

Another time I had to set up a meeting between Peter Reid, who was working as a TV pundit in Abu Dhabi, and Diego.

Peter, who was the England player who chased after Diego from the halfway line for the famous goal in 1986, wanted to arrange it.

He said: “Tariq, I want you to know the reason I want to meet Diego. It is because I want to see him from the front. I’ve only ever seen him from the back.”

I ran it by Diego, and he said he was most welcome. They met, they hugged, then they held each other’s hands. Peter said: “Oh, this hand!”

Diego said, in English: “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Then, unconsciously, Peter kissed his hand. I don’t know why he did that – perhaps because Diego was saying he was sorry and giving him puppy dog eyes.

Abu Dhabi TV caught it, showed it on the TV, and published it on YouTube. You should have seen the backlash of the English public. I felt so sorry for Peter. He was a very nice guy.

It was like that all the time. People just wanted to meet him. Roberto Carlos came to the club. Robin van Persie came with his family, asking if he would be able to meet Diego.

That was him. He was like no other person that I have met, ever.

Tariq Al-Sharabi managed Al Wasl Football Club’s PR and communication and was Diego Maradona’s English-language translator during his spell as manager. He is the managing director of Cicero and Bernay PR.