Diego Armando Maradona Biography

Footballer, born in Lanus, Argentina. Diego Armando Maradona became Argentina's youngest ever international in 1977, transferred to Boca Juniors for ₤1 million as a teenager, and in 1982 became the world's most expensive footballer when he joined Barcelona for 5 million. He broke the record again in 1984 when the Italian club Napoli paid ₤6-9 million for him. He captained Argentina to their second FIFA World Cup win in 1986, having eliminated England in the quarter-finals when he scored a highly controversial goal. At the height of success, his career then foundered amid accusations of drug-taking. Following a 15-month ban, he returned by popular demand, though without a club, to the World Cup side as captain in 1994, but was again suspended from the team following a positive drug test. He signed for Santos in 1995 and announced his retirement in 1997. In 2000, he developed a severe heart condition following cocaine use, subsequently moving to Cuba for two years treatment for drug abuse. In 2003, he was reunited with the son he had previously refused to recognize as his own. His health improved by 2005 when he began a new career as a television chat-show host. Most guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business, including Zidane and Ronaldo, but also included interviews with other notable personalities such as Fidel Castro and Mike Tyson.