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Diego Maradona, who takes charge of his first international match against Scotland at Hampden Park this evening, has hit back at Terry Butcher over his refusal to forgive the little Argentinian genius over the famous/ infamous "Hand Of God" incident during the 1986 World Cup.
Maradona suggested that the English were hypocritical, and cited Geoff Hurst’s extra time third goal was not a goal, saying that they won a World Cup because of that decision.
Has he got a point ? Is he wrongly villified, and is it no more than just sour grapes from Butcher who was made to look foolish (along with his team mates) when Maradona scored a sublime second goal – arguably the best individual goal scored at any World Cup finals.
But one question that has always puzzled me; indeed perplexes me – why was it ok for Paul Scholes to deliberately punch the ball into net against Poland (the goal was given ) at Wembley in March, 1999, but not for someone else to do it when the "victims" are England ?
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Maradona –
Great player, dodgy character.
Both ‘goals’ against England summed him up.
As far as whether he should have done it (the hand thing), if he’d have been English doing the same thing to the opposition he’d have been lauded.
Maradona –
As far as whether he should have done it (the hand thing), if he’d have been English doing the same thing to the opposition he’d have been lauded.
As indeed Paul Scholes was back in ’99 when he punched the ball into the Polish net – but not a whisper of condemnation from the English press or public then. Hypocrites !
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
The sad thing about Maradona is that he will never be remembered in many countries for being the brilliant footballer that he was. Instead he is famous for his cheating ‘ hand of god’ goal in the WC and for his cocaine abuse which included a ban from the game for 15 months.
It is stupid of Maradona to compare his deliberate handball with the mistake by a linesman. The criticism of him for his act by the english is not hypocritical as one act was deliberate cheating from an Argentinean player whilst the other was a mistake by an official ( which was out of the hands of the english team
).
Anyway the 2nd German goal in the 1966 WC final was also a handball but that is conveniently forgotten by the anti-english brigade.It was not ok for Paul Scholes to deliberately punch the ball into the net against Poland if it was deliberate but I cannot remember this incident and can find no video coverage of it ( not even on Youtube ) so I cannot comment fairly on it. He did punch the ball into the net against a team when he was playing for Man Utd and was sent off for it so it would not surprise me if his handball against Poland was deliberate but ‘two wrongs do not make a right ‘
Maradona deserves all the criticism he gets and so does Scholes if his handball against Poland was intentional.
Pete
The sad thing about Maradona is that he will never be remembered in many countries for being the brilliant footballer that he was. Instead he is famous for his cheating ‘ hand of god’ goal in the WC and for his cocaine abuse which included a ban from the game for 15 months.
Maradona may be remembered more in England for his "Hand of God" goal but he most certainly will not be remembered in that manner by very many other countries.
He virtually single-handedly (no pun intended) won the 1986 World Cup for his country with scintillating displays in the knockout stages and he also helped Napoli to their only 2 Italian League titles in the club’s history as well as the UEFA Cup.
The guy has had his problems and certainly hasn’t helped himself over the last 15-20 years or so but George Best is hardly only remembered as a womanising boozer is he?
[quote="davidbrady"
George Best is hardly only remembered as a womanising boozer is he?Unfortunately he is to a lot of people
Pete
From today’s Times Online –
"Did an English footballer never do anything sneaky? Did Michael Owen never throw himself to the ground in the penalty area? Did Paul Scholes not punch a goal against Poland? (He did, quite blatantly, in March 1999 without anyone in England agonising over the morality.)"
Matt Dickinson.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
True we have been found guilty ourselves such as Paul Scholes against Poland and David Beckham with that silly retaliation in France 98.
As for Maradonna he will always be a Fat Cheating Drug Taking Argie.
As for Maradonna he will always be a Fat Cheating Drug Taking Argie.
Yeah. And all Van Gogh is remembered for is cutting his ear off.
Anyone who thinks that Maradona won’t ultimately be recalled as the greatest footballer ever to play the game, is living in a dreamworld.
Better than Pele.
Better than Cruyff.
Better than everyone.
Anyone who thinks that Maradona won’t ultimately be recalled as the greatest footballer ever to play the game, is living in a dreamworld.
I, and millions of others must be living in that dream world. Maradona was a great player, no doubt- but better than Pele ? I say no.
Pele’s achievements far outweigh anything Maradona achieved. Incidentally, Pele, during an international match for Brazil, also picked up the ball at the half way line, skipping past the bewidered opposition (though not as cumbersome as Terry Butcher, Peter Reid et al, I hasten to add ) before depositing it leisurely into the net – and he also scored many more goals during his illusrtious career than the little Argentinian did.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Maradona –
Great player, dodgy character.
Both ‘goals’ against England summed him up.
Cormack
That’s as good a summary of the player as any I’ve read, so few words but saying so much.
If anyone has a problem with Maradona’s handled goal then they just have to learn to deal with it. As do those who have suffered any bad decisions that have favoured England, and I can think of plenty.
Yeah, yeah, it was handball, but in the words of the Sergeant Major in ‘It Aint Half Hot Mum’, "Oh dear, ‘ow sad, never mind!"
Rob
Pele’s achievements far outweigh anything Maradona achieved.
IMO, Maradona is in an exclusive club of 2 men who have won a World Cup on their own- the other being Zinedine Zidane. Admittedly, Pele may have done so but for the depth of quality around him in Brazilian World Cup-winning teams such as in 1970.
And Corm-
(Though you appear to have forgotten Hans Eskilsson).Pele’s achievements far outweigh anything Maradona achieved.
IMO, Maradona is in an exclusive club of 2 men who have won a World Cup on their own- the other being Zinedine Zidane. Admittedly, Pele may have done so but for the depth of quality around him in Brazilian World Cup-winning teams such as in 1970.
But Maradona didn’t do it all by himself – apart from his team mates, he had the added aid of the old Colombian marching powder.
I know he wasn’t caught until the 94 WC came round ( and sent home ), but how else could he have run around in 100 degrees heat in Mexico without some of his favoured stimulant to help him along.
Pele, on the other hand, favoured the red canned liquid variety of Coke.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Come on lads – let it go – 22 year of hurt etc etc!
exactly it’s not as if we go on about 800 years
MARADONA is a legend i was 10 when he won the world cup in 86 and was in total awe watching him that year i will always remember him as the best player i have seen unless someone else comes along in my lifetime…
Maradona is definitely a hero, no David Healy but very good nevertheless.
Im not part of the anti england brigade, I’ll cheer them on in every match they play that isnt a final, because England fans are possibly the worst winners on the planet (even worse than Manchester United fans). And I think that is summed up by the fact that they are still complaining about a handball in a quarter final so long ago.
Its about as long ago since Northern Ireland made it through the qualifiers of a big comp, England fans should count themselves lucky, the highlight of my days as an international supporter was seeing NI fighting for a 1-0 victory over England at Windsor Park in a qualifier.
). 
(Though you appear to have forgotten Hans Eskilsson).
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