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The Controversial Argentine Sports Figure Diego Maradona

By Ken Ingraham

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Published: 26Feb2012
Word count: 510
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Even if you don't follow sports at home, you might find yourself drawn into the city's enthusiasm when you attend language school in Buenos Aires. Diego Maradona is a name that you might hear coming up again and again during your Spanish course in Argentina due to his popularity in the country and also the controversy he has caused over the years.

Diego Armando Maradona is one of the most famous football players in Argentina's history. In fact, most people who are interested in sports are familiar with his name, as he is considered to be the greatest player that has ever lived. Not only did he have a great deal of physical strength, he also was an exceptional strategist and team player. He recently won a FIFA Player of the Century Award, which was decided through an online vote and jury. While Pele got 18.53% of the votes, Maradona completely beat him with a 53.6% vote.

Maradona made a lot of money in his career. On two different occasions, his contract fees set world records because they were so high. When he transferred to Napoli, he was given £6.9m. Maradona played in four different FIFA World Cup tournaments, and he made news headlines each time. For example, in 1986 he was awarded the Golden Ball award and recognized as the best player after the victory over West Germany. In a competition against England he scored what was called "The Goal of the Century." People believe that this was the most impressive goal that was ever made.

While Maradona did many impressive things in his career, he is controversial for a variety of reasons. First of all, he often said things that journalists and executives didn't like because he was so outspoken. At one point, he even fired a compressed air rifle at journalists. One of the other issues that plagued Maradona was his drug use. He was actually suspended for 15 months after he tested positive for cocaine use in 1991. In 1994, drugs were an issue again, as he got sent home from the 1994 World Cup because he was using ephedrine.

Many people learned more about Maradona when his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego was published in 2000. Interestingly enough, he donated the Cuban book royalties to "The Cuban People and Fidel." He had formed a lasting friendship in Fidel Castro over the years. If you are interested in learning more about Maradona before you take your Spanish course in Argentina, you can also watch the documentary "Maradona" made by the Serbian documentary filmmaker Emir Kusturica.

Recently, in March 2010, The Times in the UK rated Maradona #1 in their list of "The 10 Greatest World Cup players of all time." He also recently made the news because he owes the Italian government 37 million Euros. As you will likely see when you attend Spanish language school in Buenos Aires, although he is no longer playing football, Maradona is still idealized in Argentina due to his impressive feats over the years.

ECELA Buenos Aires offers Spanish language courses in Buenos Aires, Argentina year-round. In addition to studying Spanish in Argentina, students also have access to cultural activities and history lessons.

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