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« When Maradona ruled the world | All Posts | David Murray looking for Rangers get-out clause » November 18, 2008TrackBackTrackBack URL for this entry: Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Poll: Diego Maradona - hero or villain?: Comments
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He can never be a true great like Pele as he was a cheat, really great sportsman have no need to cheat!
Posted by: Brian | 18 Nov 2008 13:30:54
Yes, Maradona was a bit of a cheat and tarnished his image with drugs and the other issues in his private life. But it's beyond dispute that he is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to have ever graced the game. Only Maradona could have have scored the most controversial goal and the most fantastic goal in World Cup history - both in the same match. Rarely, has one player been so responsible for winning a major trophy such as Maradona did in Mexico '86.
Posted by: Ian Nankervis | 18 Nov 2008 13:52:15
always amuses me that england fans are so horrified because maradona scored with his hand in the world cup in 1986 yet 20 years earlier england won the world cup with the help of an equally "dodgy" goal ? double standards from football fans ? - never !
Posted by: arthur sixpence | 18 Nov 2008 14:17:55
@ Arthur Sixpence - I don't think you can really compare the handball against the goal scored in the 1966 final - That was a decision made by the linesman and no cheating was involved.
Saying that I think it's time to move on from the whole "hand of God" thing. Terry Butcher has made himself look like a bit of an idiot this week - he should be the bigger man! Maradona was a truly great player and we should remember him for that
Posted by: Tom | 18 Nov 2008 19:32:09
Dodgy goal in '66? The person closest to the incident was Roger Hunt and he knew immediately more then half the ball crossed the line, yes that was the rule in '66. Does this really equate to deliberately scoring with the hand? Not in my book. Maradona, not in the same league as Puskas or Pele.
Posted by: Tricky59 | 18 Nov 2008 20:40:13
People like the stupidly named Arthur Sixpence always get right up my nose.
Maradona cheated.
Hurst's goal, rightly or wrongly, was allowed by two officials., not by Hurst himself.
Mr short-of-a-bob-or-two should start thinking straight...
Posted by: Allan | 18 Nov 2008 21:09:04
Ian: the "Hand of God" goal wasn't controversial, it just wasn't a goal at all, within the rules of the game. Furthermore, and unless I'm mistaken, deliberate handball is a bookable, if not sending-off offence. Had a 'modern game' interpretation of the rules applied in '86, the first goal would have been disallowed, Maradona would have been booked or sent off and in all likelihood denied the opportunity to score the other one.
Arthur: when Geoff Hurst fired a shot towards the German goal in the '66 final, do you think he was deliberately trying to hit the underside of the bar and have the ball bounce down just outside/on/inside the goal line? Of course not. An important difference, I think, when compared with the Maradona "Hand of God" "goal", which was a deliberate act intended (successfully) to fool the officials.
The two incidents are not comparable because while Hurst simply took a shot at goal, what Maradona chose to do - despite of his undoubted wealth of talent - was to betray his sport.
No: I will always remember Diego Maradona as a cheat, above everything else. Moreover, his lame excuse for what he knows he did is very revealing of his true nature as a man.
Posted by: Kirk Austin | 19 Nov 2008 07:57:20
No doubt about Maradona's skill but no doubt about his lack of integrity either; and 20+ years on, he remains unapologetic for his cheating. He justifies his action by comparing it with the controversial England goal in 1966; the difference between a player's deliberate cheating and an official's decision escapes him. If you can't trust someone, you can't trust someone.
Posted by: Alan | 19 Nov 2008 10:01:17
Arthur, an equally dodgy goal? One is a disputed goal that may or may not have crossed the line. The linesman gave it and the arguement has raged ever since. The other was a man punching the ball into the net! Nobody in the world could claim that Maradonna's goal should not have been disallowed. How can you claim them to be equally dodgy? I think it is about time we all got over it but I took exception to the comment.
Posted by: adam | 19 Nov 2008 10:04:23
He paid (a lot) for his "mistakes"...nobody else. So who are we to judge him? Just becouse he's been the GREATEST player of all the times we're not allowed to speak about his personal life...as for everybody else. We've just had the luck to see him on the pitch.....and for that...thank you Diego!
Posted by: Max | 19 Nov 2008 10:41:18
Maradona is Living Legend. He admitted the handball it would be a million times worse if he hadn't, him calling it the Hand of God is funny. Ref's fault for not seeing the handball anyway!! Get over it!!!
Posted by: Dave | 19 Nov 2008 14:19:26
The sad thing is that Maradona should be widely admired in Scotland for having cheated agaist England. How pathetic is that?
Posted by: mike | 20 Nov 2008 12:25:22
In my visit for SouthAmerica i read: "Péle es rey (king) of football, Maradona es Dios (God)"...That is so certain
Posted by: Myrni | 20 Nov 2008 15:10:36
Oh god...Get over it...Best player ever and great entertainment too...
Posted by: Daniel | 20 Nov 2008 16:33:43
To tricky59 - not the Roger Hunt canard again. The ball bounced up and away from Sir Roger so quickly it was impossible for him to knock the ball into the net. That's why he claimed the goal. Oh and the rules governing a goal were the same in 1966 as now - the whole of the ball must cross the line.
Posted by: graeme ross | 23 Nov 2008 20:01:48