Diego Maradona died: 'A kite dream', the first note in Clarín

Horacio Pagani

11/25/2020 3:42 PM

• Clarín.com

• sports

Updated 11/25/2020 3:42 PM

This note is an illusion.

And since it is an illusion, it will be subject to all risks.

Because reality can be confused with fiction, the danger of exaggeration will be latent.

It will be judged as hasty and even an attempt against the future possibilities of the protagonist.

But Argentine football - this anemic football every Sunday - is in need of illusions.

You have to dream to regain faith.

Then we will enter without fear in the world of adolescence.

In the magic of the "spouts", the footsteps, the dribbles and the soccer daring.

Training of Argentinos Juniors, at the Communications Club (...) Practice is over.

He has a newspaper from Mar del Plata under his arm.

The owner holds him responsible for the triumph of Argentinos Juniors.

He keeps it as a relic.

The small, stretched eyes are hidden by a bunch of curlers.

It has almost no history.

His is a little adventure ...

His name is Diego Armando Maradona.

He was born in Lanús on October 30, 1960. He is the fifth brother in a family of eight.

Five women and three men.

Since last week he has lived -by management of the club- an apartment in the neighborhood of

together with his parents and his five single brothers.

Until then, all his forays had taken place in the pastures of Fiorito, near his modest home.

Diego Maradona died.

The first matches in Argentinos Juniors.

-How it all started?

-Since I remember,

I started playing at Fiorito when I was six years old.

My old man was born in Corrientes and in his days he played very well.

He always encouraged me.

Once my friend Gregorio Carrizo came to try Argentinos Juniors.

A week he took me.

We were ten years old and we started with baby.

The following year (71)

team was formed

All together we went to the Argentine Ninth and won the 1973 Championship. That same year we lost the semifinal against Santiago -by penalties- in a children's championship.

But the following year we were champions in Río Tercero.

Jan l 74 and 75 I played in the Octava de Argentinos.

Always ten and always doing the same as in the pastures of Fiorito.

I think I have the ability.

Francisco Cornejo was our coach.

He told us: “Soccer cannot be taught.

-But you started juggling the ball

-No.

I reached for the ball in the games that Argentinos played.

At halftime I would play a little game because I wanted to.

There was nothing planned at the beginning.

As people were excited, the thing remained as usual.

That will have been in '72 and '73 ...

- It means that everything else happened this year.

-Clear.

I am the age of Seventh but I started in Fifth.

Once Tino Rey saw me (he passed away very recently) who was Montes's delegate in the lower ranks and he took me to the third.

I played some friendlies and things worked out for me.

Juan Carlos Montes told me that he was going to stay with the Third team.

One day we went to La Plata to play a friendly against Estudiantes and when I got off the bus the coach told me that I was going to be on the Primera bench.

I played five minutes.

Then I was in another half hour against Atlanta.

As the seventh was playing a decisive game against Vélez, they put me on.

I have a habit of talking too much on the court.

The referee fired me after the end and they gave me five suspension dates.

-The official debut?

-It was against Talleres.

In the second half.

Against Newell's I was from the start.

After a while in another three games.

-And what do you think?

-I can not believe it.

Everything happened too fast.

And also, this of the Selection.

I take it with soda, because if I think about it, I can go crazy.

-Is it dangerous to arrive so fast?

-Yes, I know.

But I'm not going to get dizzy.

I'm serious.

I have many people who advise me well.

I am in the third year of the commercial but maybe I cannot continue due to training.

I want to play ball.

It is something that comes out of me.

-But they're going to hit you a lot.

It always happens with the skilled.

-I was never afraid.

I don't get carried away and I know how to keep it quiet.

I will not change the way I play.

I like to dribble, but I don't consider myself selfish.

If I see a well-placed teammate, I give him the ball.

-Do you have an idol?

-Of course, Bochini.

The Bocha is an exceptional player.

He is 16 years old and

.

His story is still the adventure of a little boy.

It is an illusion.

And Argentine football is in need of illusions.