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Showing posts with label Maradona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maradona. Show all posts
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Thursday, May 20, 2010
What kinda crazy will Maradona get up to during this World Cup?
The World Cup hype and coverage has been ramped up to overdrive this week. The announcement of the World Cup players squads, the World Cup themed TV advertisements and the end of the European football seasons has put the World Cup in South Africa front and centre of the crazy and casual football fans consciousness.
To get in the mood I have been reading and watching World Cup related books and films. I am in the middle of reading the excellent Maradona biography by Jimmy Burns one of the best football writers around. The book is called "The Hand Of God, The Life of Maradona and delves into Maradona's personal and football life and as one reviewer put it 'Few people emerge innocent in this book.'
Maradona's Exclusion from 1978 Argentina WC Squad
What I found really eye opening was Maradona's exclusion from the 1978 World Cup Argentinian squad. Argentina went on to win that World Cup in Argentina. In the background of that triumph a Military Junta ran the country.
Here is an extract from the book on why then Argentine coach Luis Menotti didn't pick the then 17 year old Maradona for the 1978 World Cup squad:
"Menotti told me he didn't pick Maradona because he believed he was still too young, both physically and emotionally, to deal with possible defeat - an assessment which appears at first sight to have been confirmed by Maradona's reaction to his exclusion.
'For the child prodigy who had for so many years been bent on winning the approval of his elders, the feeling of rejection by this latest of a series of father figures in his life was profoundly shocking. Without waiting for Menotti's explanation , Maradona locked himself out of and wept uncontrollably.
'He vowed never to forgive Menotti for the betrayal and to quit football altogether.
'According to witnesses who monitored the Argentine team closely at the time, Menotti had other, more personal reasons for excluding Maradona. A man of enormous ego, he was obsessed with the glory that victory would bring, and feared that any rival would eclipse him......that friendly against Hungary in which he had found himself almost bulldozed into bringing out the young player to the tribal cry of "Maradoona, Maradoona.'
(Maradona during his debut for Argentina in a game against Hungary, 27 February 1977)
Lucky for fans of the beautiful game Maradona didn't quit football and we all know the rest of the story. Reading on I found this next extract very engaging. Aside from the Military Junta exploiting the victory for political gain that accompanied Argentina's World Cup victory in 1978 there where question marks over how the victory was achieved.
"One medical source told me that in 1978 the 'whole of Argentine football was doping itself......I started a big fight to break the trend." Argentina had players who had been regularly provided with amphetamines while playing for their league teams, and who found in World Cup a suitably lax regime when it came to urine samples.
'According to other reports Mario Kempes and Alberto Tarantinoi were so "high" after playing one particular World Cup match that they had to keep on going for another hour before they came don again.
'One of the most extraordinary episodes of the World Cup involved the pregnant wife of the Argentine's team waterboy. Her urine was used as a cover for an Argentine's player's in one of the competition dopes test."
Maradona's Exclusion from 94 World Cup
Speaking of doping and Argentinian football I also watched a documentary called Maradona by Kusterica. In a revealing interview Maradona had this to say about his well documented drug use.
'For 20 years during Havelange's (former FIFA boss from Brazil) presidency Brazil did not win the World Cup. You know why? The man up there is just. The old man loves justice! If for 20 years a mafioso was unable to win the World Cup, kind of tough isn't it?(Maradona makes a gesture where he point to his right eye)
'I'm going to tell you the story. Argentina was eliminated from the World Cup (in 1994). We went to play Australia. It was a tie 1-1. We came back here and we qualified 1-0. There was no doping case (Maradona shakes his finger) No drugs not over there, not over here. There was no ephedrine over there or over here. No cocaine over there or over here. During the World Cup after we beat Nigeria 2-1 they said: "They're screwing us up." (Maradona was kicked out of USA 94 after the Nigeria game)
"I'd say Havelange is the arms dealer, and Blatter sells the bullets" (both Maradona and Kusterica laugh after this quote).
On his fight against Cocaine addiction:
"Scoring a goal in front of 100,000 people, like I did with the English for example, was for me a normal thing. It was my game my life. When I came down, I was like everyone, all of you. And I could talk to you. What messed me up was cocaine. But I was just like you. However when you let the tiger out, when I went onto the pitch, I was in command.
"Emir do you know what a player I'd have been if I hadn't taken coke? (he puts his hand together in a prayer gesture) What a player we lost! It's like a bad after taste. I could have been much more than I am. Yes. really it's true. I was born into football. I new who I was going to be. But I didn't know I was going to take coke."
World Cup 2010
I can't wait to see what kinda crazy Maradona will get up to during this World Cup. Today the final Argentinian 23 man World Cup squad was announced. Maradona will this time coach the side and the World Cup will be better for his crazy side line antics.
Goalkeepers: Sergio ROMERO, Mariano ANDUJAR, Diego POZO
Defenders: Nicolas BURDISSO, Clemente RODRIGUEZ, Martin DEMICHELIS, Ariel GARCE, Gabriel HEINZE, Nicolas OTAMENDI, Walter SAMUEL
Midfielders: Jonas GUTIERREZ, Javier MASCHERANO, Juan Sebastian VERON, Angel DI MARIA, Mario BOLATTI, Maxi RODRIGUEZ, Javier PASTORE
Forwards: Lionel MESSI, Gonzalo HIGUAIN, Carlos TEVEZ, Diego MILITO, Sergio AGUERO, Martin PALERMO
Me I am tipping Argentina to beat Brazil in the final.
Hot off the Press: The Madness begins
I just saw this report in the Guardian:
Diego Maradona runs over cameraman at World Cup squad announcement
The Argentina coach Diego Maradona insulted an injured cameraman after accidentally running over his leg ahead of announcement of thealbiceleste World Cup squad.
Driving to yesterday's news conference in Buenos Aires, the 1986 World Cup winner was surrounded by journalists. One was hit and he fell to the ground.
According to a witness, Maradona's car rolled over the lower part of the cameraman's leg. "What an asshole you are," Maradona shouted from the car. "How can you put your leg there where it can get run over, man?" Paramedics attended to the cameraman, who was taken away for further treatment.
The 49-year-old coach then delivered the names of the 23-man squadfor the World Cup to the media. Maradona's World Cup preparation was disrupted in March when he needed minor facial surgery after being bitten by his dog.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Waiting for the democratisation of Australian Football
There were some very interesting developments that took place in the world of television football broadcasting recently. The first piece of news I found interesting was the BBC’s attempt to get football events such as the World Cup and FA Cup back on free-to-air television.
The Guardian report said that events such as the World Cup, Olympics and the FA Cup final benefited society as a whole if they were to return to free-to-air television.
Its research shows that one in five adults claim that watching at least one sport on TV motivated them to participate. What about the other four?
I guess that’s another researcher’s job.
Meanwhile, FFA chairman Frank Lowy stated in an interview to the SMH last week that the future of Australian football needed free-to-air to be included in it.
Speaking to Michael Cockerill, Lowy said: “We have a contract now, until 2013. I’ll do my damndest to make sure we get free-to-air after that. We can’t do it beforehand. These people [Fox Sports] are not going to give up. They came in and took a punt, a big punt; they gave us the basis for the competition. They’re not going to give up their contractual rights, and I don’t blame them for it. But the future needs more teams, a second division, and also some free-to-air.”
In Argentina, football fans there are enjoying watching their teams go around on free-to-air television for the first time in eighteen years. A deal by the FA and the government was struck to ensure that all domestic top flight matches can be broadcast for free by any national television channel wishing to do so.
In a recent article penned by one my favourite football writers, the Guardian’s Marcela Moya y Araujo reported that Julio Grondona the president of the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) said the decision to give football back to the people was “like the parable of life itself.”
Standing next to Grondona was the president of Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, and she announced it as a “historic” day in the “democratisation” of football.
While accepting an Argentina shirt from Diego Maradona, the president said “Football is an extraordinary business,” and “It doesn’t need to be subsidised. It needs to return the right to those who provide us with it to be enriched by it.”
She mentioned its importance as part of the cultural heritage of the nation, and referred to Argentinian football as a “registered trademark”.
The World Cup hosted by South Africa will be shown on SBS in all its glory next year. Whether you love them or loath them, knowing you haven’t paid for the privilege will make it taste that much sweeter.
Published here:
http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/08/26/waiting-for-the-democratisation-of-australian-football/
Friday, April 10, 2009
Football And Pop Culture
FOOTBALL may only be a game to some, but for fans, players and managers, the round ball game is a very serious business.
So once in a while it's good to get a light hearted view of the game, it's good to laugh and get away from the attitude that Football is more important than life or death, as the famous quote goes.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons episode on Soccer was quite hilarious. The frustration of the fans with short attention spans, who struggle with the low scoring aspect of the game, is beautifully highlighted by the Simpsons.
On the lack of Action on the pitch:
TV ANNOUNCER
"The Continental Soccer Association is coming to Springfield! It's all here - fast-kicking, low scoring, and ties? You bet.
"You'll see all your favourite soccer stars. Like Adiaga! Adiaga two! Badiaga! Aruglia! And Pizzoza!"
KENT BROCKMAN
(in a commentary booth, bored) Half back passes to the centre, back to the wing, back to the centre. Centre holds it. Holds it. Holds it...
MEXICAN COMMENTATOR
(excitedly) Half back passes to centre, back to wing, back to centre! Centre holds it! Holds it! Holds it!!
On the rampant Commercialism:
LISA"Hey look! It's Pele!"
PELE"Pele is king of the soccer field. To be king of your kitchen, use Crestfield wax paper."
(He is handed a bag of money and walks off. The game starts, and the crowd cheers. The Mexican team kicks off, and pass it between them, again and again... and again... The crowd becomes quiet)
The violence off the field:
Sideshow Mel is bored and a riots starts:
He punches Skinner, knocking him into Barney, spilling his beer. Barney gets mad, and dives headfirst into the people fighting, knocking them over. Groundskeeper Willy and his friends watch from nearby.
WILLY"Ach! You call this a soccer riot? Come on, boys, let's take 'em to school!
The Scots join the fighting, and the riot escalates."
MARGE"Homer, we've got to get out of here!"
HOMER"But I wanna do some rioting! (he pushes one of the Scotsmen)"
SCOTSMANJobbers cognots, ya mucker!
HOMERAll done!
Here is a link to the visuals:
http://cruftbox.vox.com/library/video/6a00c11413da59819d00c2251c01d5604a.html
Movie The Art of Football from A-Z
The Herman Vaske Movie The Art of Football from A-Z has some great comedy. John Cleese from Monty Python delivers rants about the offside rule, Americans and a great skit about Philosophy.
Here is a bit of his rant that is counter to the Simpsons view on Soccer:
"The wonderful thing about Football is its creativity, and this is why it never caught on in America. In America the action is deliberately kept short so that the sponsors can get as many commercials in as possible. And also so the players don't have to think for too long.
"They are given instructions from the quarterback who has in turn received them from the offensive coach; no-one has to think for themselves, this is the Dick Cheney version of creativity, otherwise doing exactly what you are told.
"Why do the American's insist on calling it Soccer, why do they have such a problem calling it football?
"I suppose in some way that is a form of creativity, it is quite a creative use of language, saying one thing and meaning something completely different"
Here is a link to the vision:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyWZyGEh5DY
Monty Python
Monty Python did an excellent skit on philosophy and Football. They constructed a fictional game that had the Germans VS the Greeks with Confucius the referee.
My favourite line:
"Nietzsche has just been booked by arguing with the referee, he accused Confucius of having no free will, and Confucius he say, "Name go in book".
Again here is a link to the vision:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5fGSBsfq8
Maradona the King of Comedy
Perhaps the greatest Footballer ever Maradona is the best source for great comedy, and after his 6-1 loss to Bolivia I'm sure there is more to come from this enigma.
The latest documentary about him is called Maradona by Kusturica.
The film opens like most movies about great people, with a great quote that doesn't make any sense to the film.
The line is:
"God is the only being who, in order to reign, doesn't even need to exist."
But to most people Maradona is God; and he did exist. My brain hurts already and then it hurts even more when the director is shown playing the Good the Bad and the Ugly theme song written by Ennio Morricone on guitar for no good reason.
We are then introduced to a member of the Maradonian Church and repeated vision of the two goals he scored against England in the 1986 world cup in Mexico:
I never tire of watching those goals. People say the Aussies are always winging about the penalty decision against the Italians at the last world cup but the English will never forget what Maradona did to them with that infamous "Hand of God" goal.
So it's good to get some light relief now and then so I'll leave you with the greatest piece of commentary ever, after Norway beat England in World Cup qualifier in 1981.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZTP8-8wIs
"We are the best in the world! We are the best in the world! We have beaten England!! We have beaten England! England, birthplace of giants. Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana--we have beaten them all. We have beaten them all. Maggie Thatcher can you hear me? Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!"
So once in a while it's good to get a light hearted view of the game, it's good to laugh and get away from the attitude that Football is more important than life or death, as the famous quote goes.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons episode on Soccer was quite hilarious. The frustration of the fans with short attention spans, who struggle with the low scoring aspect of the game, is beautifully highlighted by the Simpsons.
On the lack of Action on the pitch:
TV ANNOUNCER
"The Continental Soccer Association is coming to Springfield! It's all here - fast-kicking, low scoring, and ties? You bet.
"You'll see all your favourite soccer stars. Like Adiaga! Adiaga two! Badiaga! Aruglia! And Pizzoza!"
KENT BROCKMAN
(in a commentary booth, bored) Half back passes to the centre, back to the wing, back to the centre. Centre holds it. Holds it. Holds it...
MEXICAN COMMENTATOR
(excitedly) Half back passes to centre, back to wing, back to centre! Centre holds it! Holds it! Holds it!!
On the rampant Commercialism:
LISA"Hey look! It's Pele!"
PELE"Pele is king of the soccer field. To be king of your kitchen, use Crestfield wax paper."
(He is handed a bag of money and walks off. The game starts, and the crowd cheers. The Mexican team kicks off, and pass it between them, again and again... and again... The crowd becomes quiet)
The violence off the field:
Sideshow Mel is bored and a riots starts:
He punches Skinner, knocking him into Barney, spilling his beer. Barney gets mad, and dives headfirst into the people fighting, knocking them over. Groundskeeper Willy and his friends watch from nearby.
WILLY"Ach! You call this a soccer riot? Come on, boys, let's take 'em to school!
The Scots join the fighting, and the riot escalates."
MARGE"Homer, we've got to get out of here!"
HOMER"But I wanna do some rioting! (he pushes one of the Scotsmen)"
SCOTSMANJobbers cognots, ya mucker!
HOMERAll done!
Here is a link to the visuals:
http://cruftbox.vox.com/library/video/6a00c11413da59819d00c2251c01d5604a.html
Movie The Art of Football from A-Z
The Herman Vaske Movie The Art of Football from A-Z has some great comedy. John Cleese from Monty Python delivers rants about the offside rule, Americans and a great skit about Philosophy.
Here is a bit of his rant that is counter to the Simpsons view on Soccer:
"The wonderful thing about Football is its creativity, and this is why it never caught on in America. In America the action is deliberately kept short so that the sponsors can get as many commercials in as possible. And also so the players don't have to think for too long.
"They are given instructions from the quarterback who has in turn received them from the offensive coach; no-one has to think for themselves, this is the Dick Cheney version of creativity, otherwise doing exactly what you are told.
"Why do the American's insist on calling it Soccer, why do they have such a problem calling it football?
"I suppose in some way that is a form of creativity, it is quite a creative use of language, saying one thing and meaning something completely different"
Here is a link to the vision:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyWZyGEh5DY
Monty Python
Monty Python did an excellent skit on philosophy and Football. They constructed a fictional game that had the Germans VS the Greeks with Confucius the referee.
My favourite line:
"Nietzsche has just been booked by arguing with the referee, he accused Confucius of having no free will, and Confucius he say, "Name go in book".
Again here is a link to the vision:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5fGSBsfq8
Maradona the King of Comedy
Perhaps the greatest Footballer ever Maradona is the best source for great comedy, and after his 6-1 loss to Bolivia I'm sure there is more to come from this enigma.
The latest documentary about him is called Maradona by Kusturica.
The film opens like most movies about great people, with a great quote that doesn't make any sense to the film.
The line is:
"God is the only being who, in order to reign, doesn't even need to exist."
But to most people Maradona is God; and he did exist. My brain hurts already and then it hurts even more when the director is shown playing the Good the Bad and the Ugly theme song written by Ennio Morricone on guitar for no good reason.
We are then introduced to a member of the Maradonian Church and repeated vision of the two goals he scored against England in the 1986 world cup in Mexico:
I never tire of watching those goals. People say the Aussies are always winging about the penalty decision against the Italians at the last world cup but the English will never forget what Maradona did to them with that infamous "Hand of God" goal.
So it's good to get some light relief now and then so I'll leave you with the greatest piece of commentary ever, after Norway beat England in World Cup qualifier in 1981.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZTP8-8wIs
"We are the best in the world! We are the best in the world! We have beaten England!! We have beaten England! England, birthplace of giants. Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana--we have beaten them all. We have beaten them all. Maggie Thatcher can you hear me? Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!"
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