In 1986, just four years after Britain defeated Argentina in the Falklands War, England and Argentina faced each other in the World Cup, and Argentina's Maradona infamously touched the ball with his hand and put it into the net - somehow, the goal was allowed.
After the game, Maradona called it "The Hand of God", and Argentina went on the win the World Cup.
Now, almost 22 years after the event, Maradona finally apologises for that "goal"...
Maradona: I hold my hands up
By TOM WELLS
31st January 2008
The Sun
Sorry ... Maradona with a copy of The Sun yesterday
DIEGO Maradona last night issued his first ever apology for his infamous Hand of God goal — and insisted: “If I could go back and change history I would.”
The 47-year-old former Argentina ace caved in during an interview with The Sun — nearly 22 years after his handballed effort cheated England out of the 1986 World Cup.
He also revealed he was planning to MOVE to Britain, has held talks about coaching a Premier League team — and took a swipe at David Beckham.
Dad-of-two Maradona, who has just finished a four-day visit to the UK, broke English hearts during the World Cup quarter-final in Mexico.
The 5ft 5in genius dribbled past five England players to score his brilliant second goal in Argentina’s 2-1 victory.
Handball ... Argentina's Maradona illegally palms World Cup goal past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton in the 1986 World Cup Quarter Final - just four years after Britain and Argentina fought each other in the Falklands War
But it was his first, palmed into the net past helpless goalie Peter Shilton, which left him a hate figure in this country.
Maradona has never before apologised for the strike — which helped Argentina go on to win the tournament.
He cheekily claimed it had been netted “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.
Shilton, still fuming at 58, said recently: “He has never said sorry. I think for a player with his standing in the game, it was very unsporting.
“Instead of just saying it was the Hand of God, he could have owned up.”
But yesterday Maradona finally DID say sorry to England’s success-starved fans.
Smiling broadly, he said: “An English supporter came up to me this weekend, asked me for an autograph, and said, ‘You are a legend’.
“This made me very happy. Your people are so polite and kind despite the history between our countries.
“If I could apologise and go back and change history I would do. But the goal is still a goal, Argentina became world champions and I was the best player in the world.
“I cannot change history. All I can do now is move on.”
Maradona flew into Britain to visit Chelsea star Claude Makelele and the London club’s Israeli boss Avram Grant.
Talks
He also watched Manchester United play Spurs at Old Trafford in their FA Cup fourth round clash, before attending Arsenal’s Premier League game with Newcastle on Tuesday.
Maradona has never coached or played in this country, but revealed he had already held “informal” talks with advisors about taking a club post here.
Speaking through a translator, he said: “I’m looking for new opportunities — somewhere I can find a job, a position — and it is true I plan to spend much more time in England.
Glory ... star kisses World Cup in 1986 - though Argentina scored an illegal goal against England in the Quarter Final
“There have been no formal talks and I haven’t come this week to remove managers from positions in the Premier League.
“I want to see as many games as I can here over the coming months. It is true I have had informal talks with various people about opportunities in England — but until there is a contract in front of me I cannot say any more.”
Maradona admitted he was stunned by England’s failure to qualify for this summer’s European Championships.
He went on: “At the moment there are some England players who are the stars of their club teams, but not for their country. It’s difficult to explain.
“Even during the World Cup I could see problems for England. It is a mental problem.
“Fabio Capello needs to work on their mental state — then the tactics. But the skill level is OK. For me, John Terry should be the captain, Robinson should be in goal and Aaron Lennon must play. I like his style very much.
“Under Steve McClaren there was a problem. He wasn’t a capable manager of the national team.
“It was a big mistake to drop Paul Robinson for the Croatia game. Robinson would never have made the mistakes that Scott Carson did.
“Robinson is a very good goalkeeper who has had a few problems — but strikers would have thought twice about shooting at him from long range because doubt would have entered their minds.
“With Carson they thought, ‘Who is this player’? and took shots from everywhere.”
Maradona also took a swipe at former England captain David Beckham — and love rat left-back Ashley Cole.
He added: “Beckham is a nice man and I’m sure he will reach 100 appearances for England. But he is just a good player, nothing more.
“He has a good long-range shot, but he’s not a great player — he doesn’t belong to the superior group of players.
“There are hundreds of Beckhams playing football all over the world. As for Cole, he needs to demonstrate he can forget girls and concentrate on football.
“I thought that is why you get married anyway — to stop problems like these with girls and think about your wife.
“If he has not played much for Chelsea, it is because of his form on the pitch, not his wife.
“He needs to solve his problems off the pitch, but he cannot blame them for his performance on it.
“His wife is not on the pitch with him — nor is his mistress.”
Maradona spent more than a decade hooked on drink and drugs.
His cocaine addiction nearly cost him his life after a massive 2004 heart attack left him in a coma.
At one point, Argentinians thought they had lost their national hero after rumours spread he had DIED. But he battled back to fitness and claims he has not touched the drug for three years.
Maradona said: “When I was in hospital in a coma my daughter Dalma sat by my bedside.
“She whispered, ‘Daddy, please live for me. Please live for me’. I heard her words and woke up.
“It is my two daughters that saved my life. I realised I had lost so much of my time with them through drugs and I want to enjoy the time I have left with them now.
“I lost a lot of my footballing talent to drugs. If I had never touched cocaine I would have been three times as good a player.
“There would be no debate about who was the best footballer the world had ever seen — me or Pele. Everyone would say me.”
Addict
He added: “When I was at my worst, I would take coke with whisky constantly for three days, sleep for one day, then take coke again constantly for three days, and play a game on Sunday.
“I wouldn’t know what was going on around me, but I was still better than all the other players.
“My older daughter Dalma spent her childhood knowing her father was a drug addict.
“She is a great actress now, because she went to school every day acting like everything was OK.
“You can have no real relationships with your family if you use cocaine — you need it all the time.
“I thought about killing myself several times, but then I thought about what I would leave behind.
“It was my daughters’ eyes that helped me — that is why I am still here today.”
thesun.co.uk
After the game, Maradona called it "The Hand of God", and Argentina went on the win the World Cup.
Now, almost 22 years after the event, Maradona finally apologises for that "goal"...
Maradona: I hold my hands up
By TOM WELLS
31st January 2008
The Sun
Sorry ... Maradona with a copy of The Sun yesterday
DIEGO Maradona last night issued his first ever apology for his infamous Hand of God goal — and insisted: “If I could go back and change history I would.”
The 47-year-old former Argentina ace caved in during an interview with The Sun — nearly 22 years after his handballed effort cheated England out of the 1986 World Cup.
He also revealed he was planning to MOVE to Britain, has held talks about coaching a Premier League team — and took a swipe at David Beckham.
Dad-of-two Maradona, who has just finished a four-day visit to the UK, broke English hearts during the World Cup quarter-final in Mexico.
The 5ft 5in genius dribbled past five England players to score his brilliant second goal in Argentina’s 2-1 victory.
Handball ... Argentina's Maradona illegally palms World Cup goal past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton in the 1986 World Cup Quarter Final - just four years after Britain and Argentina fought each other in the Falklands War
But it was his first, palmed into the net past helpless goalie Peter Shilton, which left him a hate figure in this country.
Maradona has never before apologised for the strike — which helped Argentina go on to win the tournament.
He cheekily claimed it had been netted “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.
Shilton, still fuming at 58, said recently: “He has never said sorry. I think for a player with his standing in the game, it was very unsporting.
“Instead of just saying it was the Hand of God, he could have owned up.”
But yesterday Maradona finally DID say sorry to England’s success-starved fans.
Smiling broadly, he said: “An English supporter came up to me this weekend, asked me for an autograph, and said, ‘You are a legend’.
“This made me very happy. Your people are so polite and kind despite the history between our countries.
“If I could apologise and go back and change history I would do. But the goal is still a goal, Argentina became world champions and I was the best player in the world.
“I cannot change history. All I can do now is move on.”
Maradona flew into Britain to visit Chelsea star Claude Makelele and the London club’s Israeli boss Avram Grant.
Talks
He also watched Manchester United play Spurs at Old Trafford in their FA Cup fourth round clash, before attending Arsenal’s Premier League game with Newcastle on Tuesday.
Maradona has never coached or played in this country, but revealed he had already held “informal” talks with advisors about taking a club post here.
Speaking through a translator, he said: “I’m looking for new opportunities — somewhere I can find a job, a position — and it is true I plan to spend much more time in England.
Glory ... star kisses World Cup in 1986 - though Argentina scored an illegal goal against England in the Quarter Final
“There have been no formal talks and I haven’t come this week to remove managers from positions in the Premier League.
“I want to see as many games as I can here over the coming months. It is true I have had informal talks with various people about opportunities in England — but until there is a contract in front of me I cannot say any more.”
Maradona admitted he was stunned by England’s failure to qualify for this summer’s European Championships.
He went on: “At the moment there are some England players who are the stars of their club teams, but not for their country. It’s difficult to explain.
“Even during the World Cup I could see problems for England. It is a mental problem.
“Fabio Capello needs to work on their mental state — then the tactics. But the skill level is OK. For me, John Terry should be the captain, Robinson should be in goal and Aaron Lennon must play. I like his style very much.
“Under Steve McClaren there was a problem. He wasn’t a capable manager of the national team.
“It was a big mistake to drop Paul Robinson for the Croatia game. Robinson would never have made the mistakes that Scott Carson did.
“Robinson is a very good goalkeeper who has had a few problems — but strikers would have thought twice about shooting at him from long range because doubt would have entered their minds.
“With Carson they thought, ‘Who is this player’? and took shots from everywhere.”
Maradona also took a swipe at former England captain David Beckham — and love rat left-back Ashley Cole.
He added: “Beckham is a nice man and I’m sure he will reach 100 appearances for England. But he is just a good player, nothing more.
“He has a good long-range shot, but he’s not a great player — he doesn’t belong to the superior group of players.
“There are hundreds of Beckhams playing football all over the world. As for Cole, he needs to demonstrate he can forget girls and concentrate on football.
“I thought that is why you get married anyway — to stop problems like these with girls and think about your wife.
“If he has not played much for Chelsea, it is because of his form on the pitch, not his wife.
“He needs to solve his problems off the pitch, but he cannot blame them for his performance on it.
“His wife is not on the pitch with him — nor is his mistress.”
Maradona spent more than a decade hooked on drink and drugs.
His cocaine addiction nearly cost him his life after a massive 2004 heart attack left him in a coma.
At one point, Argentinians thought they had lost their national hero after rumours spread he had DIED. But he battled back to fitness and claims he has not touched the drug for three years.
Maradona said: “When I was in hospital in a coma my daughter Dalma sat by my bedside.
“She whispered, ‘Daddy, please live for me. Please live for me’. I heard her words and woke up.
“It is my two daughters that saved my life. I realised I had lost so much of my time with them through drugs and I want to enjoy the time I have left with them now.
“I lost a lot of my footballing talent to drugs. If I had never touched cocaine I would have been three times as good a player.
“There would be no debate about who was the best footballer the world had ever seen — me or Pele. Everyone would say me.”
Addict
He added: “When I was at my worst, I would take coke with whisky constantly for three days, sleep for one day, then take coke again constantly for three days, and play a game on Sunday.
“I wouldn’t know what was going on around me, but I was still better than all the other players.
“My older daughter Dalma spent her childhood knowing her father was a drug addict.
“She is a great actress now, because she went to school every day acting like everything was OK.
“You can have no real relationships with your family if you use cocaine — you need it all the time.
“I thought about killing myself several times, but then I thought about what I would leave behind.
“It was my daughters’ eyes that helped me — that is why I am still here today.”
thesun.co.uk
