Maradona appreciation thread | Rest in peace, golden boy.

[Pocho]

Argentina may not qualify to the Wold Cup with Messi as captain. Diego made a only half decent Argentina side World Champions. Maradona made a less than half decent Napoli side Champions back when Italy was the place to be in world football. Different class, in my book anyway.

Passarella put us in 86 WC, he was totally off in that match against Perú. He was great but he had lots of off matches.

 

[Morty_]

Comparisons are always being made between Messi and Maradona, but, i was wondering, how do people feel about putting him up against another historic Argentine, Di Stefano?

 

[Pocho]

Comparisons are always being made between Messi and Maradona, but, i was wondering, how do people feel about putting him up against another historic Argentine, Di Stefano?

None of us saw him play so it's hard to tell, have good references about the guy though

 

[The holy trinity 68]

I think the changing of the guard was already well underway in Italy by '86. At that point, Napoli and Maradona were already emerging as the dominant force and Platini retired in '87 having only been on the winning side in 1 of the 6 games between the 2.

Platini can't have been that bad all of a sudden, only a year or 2 after winning the Ballon D'or 3 years in a row?

 

[RooneyLegend]

Argentina in the knockout rounds only played Uruguay, England and Belgium until the final.

It is also a myth that Argentina and Napoli were average teams except for Maradona.

Napoli only won the title in 2 of the 7 years that Maradona played for them aswell, and only had a combined goals and assists record of more than 20 in 2 of his 9 seasons in Europe. Them kind of stats don't warrant him being the best player of all time.

Teams weren't scoring goals in Italy at the time. These crazy stats you see today were unthinkable. Van Basten was struggling to get to 20 league goas. Just watch him play full games and you'll understand the hype.

 

[RooneyLegend]

Platini can't have been that bad all of a sudden, only a year or 2 after winning the Ballon D'or 3 years in a row?

He just wasn't the same player.

 

[alexthelion]

Wasn't Platini seen as the better player going into the 1986 World Cup? Then Maradona cheated his was to the WC and everyone only looks back at the WC win to judge who was better. Even though it was before most of us were born and the ones who were alive were quite young.

Quite simply, no.

 

[giorno]

Happy Birthday to God Himself!

 

[Eckers99]

Platini can't have been that bad all of a sudden, only a year or 2 after winning the Ballon D'or 3 years in a row?

Nobody is saying Platini was bad but he was coming towards the end of a great career, while Maradona was in the ascendancy. He was the best player in the world by that point.

 

[galwayfa]

Argentina in the knockout rounds only played Uruguay, England and Belgium until the final.

It is also a myth that Argentina and Napoli were average teams except for Maradona.

Napoli only won the title in 2 of the 7 years that Maradona played for them aswell, and only had a combined goals and assists record of more than 20 in 2 of his 9 seasons in Europe. Them kind of stats don't warrant him being the best player of all time.

In Italy he was up against 3 World class germans at inter, 3 World class Dutch lads at ac Milan, Platini, boniek amongst others at juve and in a league that won World Cup 4 years earlier and not mentioning any of them, to me his the best ever,

 

[Eckers99]

The word genius gets chucked around but there's no other word for him...

 

[r3idy]

Argentina in the knockout rounds only played Uruguay, England and Belgium until the final.

It is also a myth that Argentina and Napoli were average teams except for Maradona.

Napoli only won the title in 2 of the 7 years that Maradona played for them aswell, and only had a combined goals and assists record of more than 20 in 2 of his 9 seasons in Europe. Them kind of stats don't warrant him being the best player of all time.

Napoli really were an average team. Without googling it, name at least three worldies in their squad before he joined.

Go read Angels with Dirty faces. It is a great starting point on Argentinian football amongst other great books. The national teams from 1990 / 1994 were really nothing special.

In as much as Cantona propelled us to greater heights on his return from his ban, Maradona propelled Napoli and Argentine National team beyond their natural position also.

 

[Pretzels81]

A terrible personality that somehow became the greatest player ever until Messi.

 

[Kamprad]

A terrible personality that somehow became the greatest player ever until Messi.

Have you seen the documentary? He seemed like a genuine and nice guy when young. Came from a poor background. A lot of responsibility early in life. Supported his family very early. The drugs changed him.

 

[Pretzels81]

Have you seen the documentary? He seemed like a genuine and nice guy when young. Came from a poor background. A lot of responsibility early in life. Supported his family very early. The drugs changed him.

So did the vast majority of South-American stars of the '80s, '90s and '00s.

No, I don't like him. But I still enjoy watching his "Best of" videos.

 

[Kamprad]

So did the vast majority of South-American stars of the '80s, '90s and '00s.

No, I don't like him. But I still enjoy watching his "Best of" videos.

Not me either. But he has that typical drug addict personality. Seems like many of them has the exact same personality. He wasn’t always like that.

But I agree with you.

 

[Sandikan]

The first player I remember being excited about watching, at about 9 years old.

 

[Bastian]

GOAT.

 

[galwayfa]

So did the vast majority of South-American stars of the '80s, '90s and '00s.

No, I don't like him. But I still enjoy watching his "Best of" videos.

Ya but they didn't reach the heights he did,

 

[The holy trinity 68]

Teams weren't scoring goals in Italy at the time. These crazy stats you see today were unthinkable. Van Basten was struggling to get to 20 league goas. Just watch him play full games and you'll understand the hype.

That is fair enough, thanks.

Quite simply, no.

Platini won the Ballon D'or 3 years in a row heading into the 1986 WC so the correct answer is yes he was seen as the better player up to that point.

Napoli really were an average team. Without googling it, name at least three worldies in their squad before he joined.

Go read Angels with Dirty faces. It is a great starting point on Argentinian football amongst other great books. The national teams from 1990 / 1994 were really nothing special.

In as much as Cantona propelled us to greater heights on his return from his ban, Maradona propelled Napoli and Argentine National team beyond their natural position also.

That is fair enough, I cannot name many without google to be honest. I can only name Ciro Ferrera, De Napoli and Giordano. Ferrera was definitely World Class.

 

[GameOn]

The GOAT.

He singlehandedly took Argentina to two WC finals in a row, winning one title and turned a bang average Napoli team into a true powerhouse.

All that while the game was way more defensive and defenders got away with murder during that time. The competition in Italy was absurd (Milan, Inter and Juve all were full of superstars), too.

Messi is great, yes, but I don't see him succeeding under those conditions at all. Heck, he couldn't lead Argentina to anything.

 

[giorno]

Platini won the Ballon D'or 3 years in a row heading into the 1986 WC so the correct answer is yes he was seen as the better player up to that point.

Maradona wasn't eligible for it. Platini's almost instant fall from top 10 all time to retirement was down to a combination of injuries, age and tiredness. He really stopped being a world class player after the '86 world cup

I will point out as well that Platini played for Juventus and a great french NT, while Maradona got shredded by insane tackles in barcelona and then went to Napoli. Where, once he hit his peak, he had to compete with the milan of berlusconi which at the time was basically like competing against City and PSG rolled into one without FFP, and then an inter side with Lothar Matthaus, Klinsmann, Brehme and Bergomi among others, as well as the juventus of Platini. And still it was obvious from the moment Maradona started playing for Napoli that he was better/going to be better than Platini ever had been. Which he was

That is fair enough, I cannot name many without google to be honest. I can only name Ciro Ferrera, De Napoli and Giordano. Ferrera was definitely World Class.

That is loose definition of world class honestly. Ferrara was a kid at the time, too. I'd say only Careca qualifies as WC, and he was signed in '87, after Maradona had already won the title almost by himself. That said by the time they won Napoli were hardly bang average, even without Diego. But it'd be like dropping Messi on Wolves, and them winning the title, more or less

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

What he does beginning at 28 seconds is the most mind blowing thing I've ever seen. Never seen anything like that.

 

[Lay]

Argentina in the knockout rounds only played Uruguay, England and Belgium until the final.

It is also a myth that Argentina and Napoli were average teams except for Maradona.

Napoli only won the title in 2 of the 7 years that Maradona played for them aswell, and only had a combined goals and assists record of more than 20 in 2 of his 9 seasons in Europe. Them kind of stats don't warrant him being the best player of all time.

Napoli finished a point above relegation the season before he joined. Took him two seasons to make them title challengers and 3 to win the league. Regarding his stats, he finished top scorer one season with 15 goals. Goals weren't easy to come by back then. Also taking into account less league games. He also won Napoli's only European silverware.

 

[GenZRed]

Just no.

 

[alexthelion]

A terrible personality that somehow became the greatest player ever until Messi.

Don't know about the greatest player ever (Pele, Best, Cruyff also have a shout), but all of those are better than Messi will ever be.

 

[Pretzels81]

Don't know about the greatest player ever (Pele, Best, Cruyff also have a shout), but all of those are better than Messi will ever be.

Because Messi never won FIFA's Le Grande Copa Korrupten Worldwide?

He reached a final though, like Cruyff.

 

[alexthelion]

Because Messi never won FIFA's Le Grande Copa Korrupten Worldwide?

He reached a final though, like Cruyff.

No, because I believe they were all just better players than Messi.

Messi just has the benefit of being a current player, whilst many would not have seen the other other players because they're too young.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

It’s interesting how the passage of time has minimised the glaring negatives that he has. His cheating, his drug use, his cheating, his relatively short career.

clearly one of the greatest players of all time, but Messi and Pele at the very least are streets ahead of him (in my opinion!).

 

[klsv]

Not his biggest fan, far from it, but wish him a happy birthday.

 

[Red_toad]

A terrible personality that somehow became the greatest player ever until Messi.

Better than Messi for me. As for his personality, I'd imagine a lot of people would go off the rails if they'd lived his life, but as it's the internet era people just judge him and moralise on how he should have done everything.

 

[Josh 76]

Argentina in the knockout rounds only played Uruguay, England and Belgium until the final.

It is also a myth that Argentina and Napoli were average teams except for Maradona.

Napoli only won the title in 2 of the 7 years that Maradona played for them aswell, and only had a combined goals and assists record of more than 20 in 2 of his 9 seasons in Europe. Them kind of stats don't warrant him being the best player of all time.

Is this a serious post?

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Better than Messi for me. As for his personality, I'd imagine a lot of people would go off the rails if they'd lived his life, but as it's the internet era people just judge him and moralise on how he should have done everything.

i am a big critic of the ‘internet era’ but he was off the rails in any era, and his behaviour was outrageous, and everyone knew that at the time, let alone now.

 

[Red_toad]

i am a big critic of the ‘internet era’ but he was off the rails in any era, and his behaviour was outrageous, and everyone knew that at the time, let alone now.

Without knowing what it would be like to live his life, people should just enjoy what he was paid to do, not his off field antics. Us mear mortals have no idea the life he lived and what he did to cope with the pressures and temptations.

 

[Marcosdeto]

Don't know about the greatest player ever (Pele, Best, Cruyff also have a shout), but all of those are better than Messi will ever be.

how old are you?

 

[Green_Red]

Sorry but Messi, Cristiano, and R9 also all did stuff that Ronaldinho could only dream about doing. Ronaldinho isn't even the best Brazilian of his generation never mind talking about being the GOAT.

Thats your opinion, and you're entitled to it. I don't think you're right though. Out of interest which Brazilian is better in his generation?

 

[RUCK4444]

Thats your opinion, and you're entitled to it. I don't think you're right though. Out of interest which Brazilian is better in his generation?

That would be R9 wouldn’t it?

I’d agree that peak R9 is a touch better than Ronaldinho if that’s who he’s eluding to.

Love both players though, both incredible.

 

[Morty_]

Better than Messi for me. As for his personality, I'd imagine a lot of people would go off the rails if they'd lived his life, but as it's the internet era people just judge him and moralise on how he should have done everything.

Better than Messi? Hilarious stuff, he might not even be the 2nd best Argentine(Di Stefano has a claim).

 

[Tel074]

For me Diego is the greatest of all time .
His ability to turn average teams into winners and for him to be the star was probably unrivaled.
He played in a era when he could be kicked out of games yet he still did what he did .

I've been lucky enough to see alot of brilliant players in my life but for me Diego was above all the rest .

 

[Tel074]

Better than Messi? Hilarious stuff, he might not even be the 2nd best Argentine(Di Stefano has a claim).

It hilarious that someone has a different opinion than yours ? Hilarious for sure