'Adios Diego': Maradona buried as world mourns football great

RAUL FERRARI / TELAM / AFP

Argentina's Diego Maradona, one of the world's greatest ever football players, was buried on Thursday amid a global outpouring of grief from the streets of Buenos Aires to Italy's Naples.

The death of Maradona at the age of 60 on Wednesday, following a heart attack, has sparked both mourning and celebrations of a true sporting star, who was a genius on the football field but lived a life marred by struggles with addiction.

In a day of high emotion, the World Cup winner was taken by hearse late on Thursday to the Bella Vista cemetery on the outskirts of Buenos Aires - where his parents are also interred - for a small private ceremony of his family and close friends.

Thousands of Argentines lined the roads as the procession passed on the hour-long journey from the presidential palace in central Buenos Aires, where Maradona had laid in state during the day.

Earlier, there were clashes between police and fans and a febrile atmosphere more akin to a rowdy football game than a wake, with fans clambering up the palace gates to get as close as possible to their hero.

In Italy, crowds tied hundreds of blue and white scarfs to the railings outside his former club Napoli.

In Argentina, three days of national mourning were called for the player who led the country to a 1986 World Cup win and is revered with cult-like status. Tens of thousands took to the streets, not all wearing masks, despite fears over the COVID-19 pandemic. Some left flowers and messages at his childhood home.

MILE-LONG LINES

During the day, Maradona's body lay in state in a closed casket at the Casa Rosada presidential palace on the central Plaza de Mayo. It was covered with the blue and white national flag and an Argentina football jersey with the number 10 that had been part of his nickname "D10S" - a play on "dios".

Starting at dawn on Thursday, thousands of fans had formed a snaking line estimated at over a 1.6 km long through the streets of Buenos Aires near the plaza, after a night of mourning and reminiscing.

Fans who got inside the palace - many missed out - threw football shirts, flowers and other items towards the casket.

"He was someone who touched the sky with his hands but never took his feet off the ground," President Alberto Fernandez said. He visited the casket on Thursday.

As authorities started to close down access to the central square on Thursday afternoon, scuffles broke out, with police using rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse the unruly crowds.

The tensions eased after Maradona's body was transferred to the cemetery, surrounded by a huge procession of police and others on motorbikes and cars.

In Naples, meanwhile, fans laid out flowers, children's pictures, candles and even a bottle of wine in a rapidly expanding, makeshift shrine.

"DIEGO BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE"

Major athletes and world leaders, including Argentina-born Pope Francis, have paid their own tributes.

"Diego belongs to the people, Diego belongs to Argentina, Diego belongs to the country," said Dario Lozano, waiting in line to view the casket.

Beloved in his homeland and adored in Italy for taking Napoli to two Serie A titles, Maradona was a uniquely gifted player who rose from the tough streets of Buenos Aires to reach the pinnacle of his sport.

The 1986 World Cup included a quarter-final game against England where Maradona scored two of the tournament's best-known goals ever - an illicit "Hand of God" goal and one that followed an incredible swerving, dribble.

Maradona also battled various health problems over the years as a result of his addictions. Earlier this month, he was hospitalised for symptoms including anaemia and dehydration and underwent emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma - a blood clot in the brain.

On Thursday, Maradona's lawyer, Matías Morla, said he would ask for a full investigation into the circumstances of the death, and criticised what he said was a slow response by emergency services.

In Italy, Massimo Vignati, owner of a Maradona museum in Naples, said the player had become almost like family.

More from Sports News

  • Neymar nets first goal since Santos return

    Neymar scored for the first time in 16 months after his penalty set Santos on the way to a 3-1 win over Agua Santa in the Paulista Championship on Sunday and the Brazil forward said he was happy to be playing again after a long injury absence.

  • H.H. Sheikh Mohammed attends Al Salam Cycling Championship

    His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, attended the fourth stage of the Al Salam Cycling Championship, which took place on Sunday at Al Marmoom Conservation Reserve.

  • Man Utd 'can't run away' says boss Amorim after Spurs loss

    Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insists there is no running away from the club's plight after they suffered a 1-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, their 12th defeat in 25 Premier League games this season.

  • UAE to host FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour

    The UAE is the first stop on the Asian leg of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour with a visit scheduled for February 22-24.

  • Raducanu puts on dominant display in Dubai

    British debutant Emma Raducanu got her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign off to the perfect start, defeating former World Number 3 Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-2 under the lights on Centre Court.

On Virgin Radio today

Trending on Virgin Radio