Diego Maradona was on the verge of signing for Real Madrid several times. Florentino Perez said that "the only blemish on his career" was that he didn't play in the media.
The El Salvador coach David Doniga recalls the day he "played" at the Bernabeu. "We were waiting in the locker room for training to start, and suddenly we were informed 'Maradona just arrived here!'" Doniga said. "I admire him, because my first memories are related to the 1986 World Cup," he added.