Argentine football legend and former UAE club coach Diego Maradona took to Instagram to praise Pope Francis ahead of the papal visit to the UAE.
Maradona, who managed Al Wasl and Fujiarah during his time in the Emirates, noted the historic nature of the Pope's forthcoming travels to the country, while also acknowledging the significance of the Pope visiting a Muslim-majority nation.
Maradona's post featured a photo of his own meeting with Pope Francis, where the two Argentine compatriots shared a warm embrace.
He closed out his post by calling the UAE an example to follow, noting how Christians and Muslims live peacefully.
Over the past few decades, Maradona has been in the headlines for reasons both good and bad. His performance peaked during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico City guiding Argentina to their second title. He is best known, however, for his 'Hand of God' handball goal in the quarter-finals against England.