He spent two months last fall in Buenos Aires in the country of Diego Maradona and Jorge Luis Borges scouting for his future work entitled "An absurd and devouring passion" (Editions de l'Observatoire).
Olivier Guez, Renaudot Prize 2017, football enthusiast and author of “L'Éloge de l'Esquive”, an ode to Brazilian dribblers, looks back on the death of the Argentine idol.
What was your reaction to the news of Maradona's death?
OLIVIER GUEZ.
First of all, an immense sadness because he is by far the greatest player in history.
And beyond football, he is a very great character of the twentieth century, for Argentina, for South America and football.
Few players have climbed as high and fallen as low as he.
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But are we not surprised either, given the dissolute life led by Maradona?
Unfortunately yes.
He has experienced so many health problems over the past 20 years.
When I went to Argentina to write my book, I met a doctor who knew him well and told me "
it is a miracle that this man is still alive
".
He suffered heart attacks, gained 30 kg, lost 20, entered rehab ... He is totally addicted to cocaine and sex!
He had incredible physical resistance.
Well, Maradona eventually passed away at 60, but somewhere I wasn't surprised.
All this was very far from the hygiene of life of a high level footballer.
He rather had a rock star lifestyle?
He was an absolute rock star.
Except instead of having a guitar, he had a ball.
I don't know a single footballer in history, as strong, as crazy, as charismatic as Maradona.
And I'm not even telling you about the current players, all of them boring overall.
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VIDEO. Death of Maradona: the ex-football star had a brain operation in early November
Pelé was huge but was an extremely serious man who started the ball rolling for modern footballers, able to make a lot of money with football.
I do not forget the symbol for the black cause either.
But Maradona is a mix of Keith Richards, the best circus acrobat and Pelé.
It is one of a kind.
How does Maradona symbolize the 20th century?
He embodies yet fanciful football, fun football, football for children.
He was a kid, a gifted man, the Mozart of football somewhere.
This football no longer exists today.
Then, he embodies the Argentina of the twentieth century.
When it emerges at the end of the 1970s, it was terrible years for this country in the midst of a dictatorship.
He kept a lot of Argentines going.
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This little genius appeared on television, performed juggling sessions at half-time in certain matches.
He brightened up this terrible daily life.
Then, he imposed Argentina at the top of the football charts.
In 1986, it is crystal clear, the greatest player in history splashes the competition like no athlete has scored a World Cup.
It's a huge revenge for Argentina.
Especially with the game against England?
Imagine this little guy who is going to smash the ball in the face of the English goalkeeper, the referee and the whole world.
It's the idea of the kid from the wasteland who absolutely wants to score against his friends.
And he achieves it in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
It is the idea of the one who is at the bottom and cunning against the powerful.
The second goal is an alien slalom.
It is the cosmic kite, the nickname given by the Argentinian television commentator, facing the hereditary enemy who won the Falklands War four years earlier.
Later, by being close to Castro, Chavez, Maduro, he still gave the image of the one who will challenge the powerful, the former colonialist powers.
He had a Che Guevara tattooed on one arm.
For you, he's the greatest player in history?
In front of Pelé?
I am biased because I was born in 1974 and I did not see Pelé play.
I grew up with Maradona.
For an artist, it's much less interesting to work on Pelé.
The escapades of Maradona, his relations with the Mafia, the 1990 World Cup. This is a film this Mondial.
He plays Italy in Naples, his adopted city.
When he steps onto the lawn, he knows that no matter what, he's going to lose everything.
It's a tragedy.