Rugby: The day the Beauvais coach asked Maradona for an autograph

“The guy was a light.

He was there, and you couldn't see anything else.

These few words are signed Esteban Devich.

The tribute would make a beautiful epitaph, at the height of the fascination aroused by Diego Maradona.

Like all his Argentinian compatriots, the coach of the Beauvais rugby club (Federal 1) took the full brunt of the shock wave caused by the death of "Pibe de oro", who died on Wednesday following a stoppage. cardio-respiratory, less than a month after celebrating his 60th birthday and a few weeks after an operation for an edema of the brain.

"My friends in Argentina warned me by whatsapp, I learned about it before the newspapers here," indicates Esteban Devich (50), crowned Argentine champion in 1998 with his club in San Cirano (Buenos Aires).

I sent messages to my wife and my children.

I was very touched, even though we knew that his state of health had deteriorated for several years.

Maradona is someone who made me dream.

"

By interposed television screen, but not only.

“I ran into him one day,” recalls Esteban Devich.

That was in 1994. Maradona then coached Deportivo Mandiyú.

The future pillar of Bayonne and Oyonnax (Pro D2), ten years younger than the idol of Argentina, was still a student.

"There were the facilities of a D1 club at the sports college," recalls Esteban Devich.

We knew that Maradona was arriving the next day with his team, the university suddenly stopped.

Classes have been canceled.

Either way, they knew that not a student would go to class.

The priority was elsewhere that day.

"I even have girlfriends who lifted their T-shirts to be signed on the skin"

“You have to imagine an annex football field, with fences around it,” continues Devich.

Maradona was in the middle.

The team, we didn't care, we only saw him.

We must have been 1000 or 2000 students, I don't know.

All around the fence.

At the end of training, Maradona stopped.

He must have spent 2-3 hours signing the autographs one by one.

He was amazing the guy.

I even have girlfriends who lifted their T-shirts to be signed on the skin.

"

Esteban Devich hands a piece of paper to the former Boca Junior player in Buenos Aires.

"I told him:

, remembers Beauvais' coach.

Maradona did it.

"

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Autograph of the 1986 world champion in his pocket, Esteban Devich goes to the hospital where his father was then.

Only concern, and of size, Felipe, now deceased, was an unconditional supporter of River Plate, the other club of Buenos Aires.

“We all went to the stadium as a family when I was little,” Devich says, “it was a great outing.

River and Boca are Paris and Marseille power 2000. I had said to my father:

.

He was mad at me.

I was laughing out loud, I knew he wasn't going to like it.

I'm stupid, I took a few minutes out of Maradona's life just to play a joke on my dad.

I tell myself that I should have kept Maradona's autograph.

"

Diego Maradona died at the age of 60./AFP  

There are television memories.

“I had the chance to grow up seeing him,” says Esteban Devich.

The year 1978 (Editor's note: 1st of Argentina's two World Cup victories), I was 8 years old.

He had made the preparation for the World Cup but he was not 18, Menotti had not finally taken.

It had caused a scandal in Argentina.

"

The following year, Maradona won the Under-20 World Cup in Japan against the Soviet Union.

He is even the golden ball of the competition at the height of his 1.65 m.

“When I was 9, I got up at 3-4 am to watch the games,” smiles Esteban Devich.

Maradona, Ramon Diaz, they jerked off to everyone.

In France, who will get up at 3 am to watch a young team, apart from the family of the players?

With Maradona, there was already something going on .... "

The English can attest to this.

With the help of the "hand of God" on the first goal, but above all thanks to his brilliant ball handling on the second, he made the quarter-final of the 1986 World Cup (2-1 victory) a political revenge a few years after the Falklands War, lost by Argentina.

“There was a hatred not possible towards the English, explains Esteban Devich.

I remember, I was with my grandparents, we had watched the game as a family.

Everyone talks about the goal of the hand, but me, the one I remember is the other.

The second, when he takes the ball before the 50 m and goes to the goal!

We were jumping, we were screaming, but at the same time we were looking at each other saying

What died on Wednesday wasn't just the footballer, that's all he stood for.

"

“It's too easy to judge the guy who snorted coke.

He had such a dizzying life ... "

A “very folkloric” side, like “Che's tattoos and his friendship with Fidel Castro”, but also sulphurous periods marked by a stunning descent into hell.

“It's too easy to judge the guy who snorted coke, tempers Esteban Devich.

He had such a dizzying life ... When you analyze his life, he was so excessive that perhaps you have to accept that side.

"

Inevitably, the autograph session comes to mind.

“What touched me was the time he spent,” says Devich.

The bus was waiting, all the players were in it.

Not a guy moved until he was done with the students.

It is magic.

You say hat to yourself.

Frankly, this guy didn't have a life.

He never had a normal life.

How do you not want to go crazy, especially coming from where it came from?

People like that, they are in another world ... "

An icon.

Forever and ever.

Beyond degradation.

“For ten years, I preferred not to watch it anymore,” says Esteban Devich.

Addiction to alcohol, drugs, heart problems ... When he was on TV, I zapped.

He was the shadow of himself, it pained me too much, I couldn't stand to see it anymore.

Doctor Jekyll forever stronger than Mr. Hyde.