5 años (SPA-ENG)

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Como director técnico también tuvo una extensa trayectoria aunque no exitosa; su último club fue Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, mi querido Lobo Platense, que lo contrató cuando sus capacidades físicas y mentales ya se encontraban visiblemente disminuidas. Falleció estando en funciones aunque hacía tiempo que no dirigía al primer equipo, por respeto no fue despedido y su sillón de DT permanecía vacío en cada partido que disputaba Gimnasia.

En la noche de ayer, quizás como un homenaje silencioso y merecido, el equipo de Gimnasia consiguió el pase a los cuartos de final del torneo clausura del fútbol argentino al vencer de visitante a Unión de Santa Fe.

Diego Armando Maradona. Se pueden derramar ríos de tinta para describir su vida; algunos ya lo han hecho. Amado, odiado, denostado, ensalzado, polémico, irascible, incomprendido, cualquier cosa se puede decir de él y seguramente no se estará demasiado alejado de la verdad, lo único fuera de toda discusión es su estatura de jugador, uno de los mejores de todos los tiempos, quizás el más grande.

five years

I consider myself a person with a good memory—selective, I'd say—because I remember a lot of what I like or liked at the time, and I easily forget unpleasant things or things that, in my opinion, aren't worth preserving. It's as if my subconscious believes that available storage is limited and selects, based on well-established parameters, what to remember and what not to. Something similar happens with the management of our personal computers and smartphones; we all know their storage capacity is limited, and we're careful to save only the most important things.

This morning, while I was taking my morning shower, I was listening, as usual, to a radio program dedicated to news and current events from around the world, although, of course, with a focus on my own country. It's a habit I've had for many years now, and on days when I don't listen to it, the shower just isn't the same. "Old man's stuff," my wife would say, except I've been doing this since I was at least 30.

The program began with a recap of the news from November 25, 2020, a fateful day for all Argentinians. After a life that had been a rollercoaster of emotions, one of the greatest footballers of all time, Diego Armando Maradona, passed away at a country house in Dique Luján, Buenos Aires province. A question that most of the journalists present in the studio were asking themselves, and answering almost without hesitation, was what they were doing when they received the news of Maradona's death. Honestly, I don't remember anything from that day, as if my mind had deliberately erased it to spare me the unparalleled pain of his loss.

Maradona was only 60 years old at the time, although his body was literally destroyed due to the excesses that marked his life, a far cry from what one would expect from such a gifted athlete as D10S (God).

During his playing career, he defended the colors of Argentinos Juniors, the team where he debuted and surprised the world at an age when the vast majority of young footballers are still in their teams' seventh division and have a long way to go before aspiring to play in the first division. He spent a short period at Boca Juniors, although he won the 1981 championship. This was a stepping stone to Barcelona in Spain, where injuries and problems with the coaching staff prevented him from reaching his full potential, although he still managed to win three titles: the Copa del Rey, the Copa de la Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup. His best period came after moving to Napoli in Italy, where he won the Scudetto twice, the Coppa Italia, the Italian Super Cup, and the UEFA Cup—an extraordinary performance for a team that had never won any title until his arrival. In a southern city, he catapulted to the status of an absolute idol, a status he still holds today, more than 30 years after leaving the club and the country. While in Naples, he also became a world champion, captaining the Argentine national team in the unforgettable 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Maradona's legend grew even larger in Italy in 1990, where, despite injuries and swollen ankles from fouls, he led the national team to a dream final against Germany. Only questionable refereeing decisions prevented Maradona from winning a second consecutive World Cup.

After his successful spell at Napoli and already struggling with severe drug problems, he played for Sevilla and then Newell's Old Boys in Rosario, where he arrived after his suspension at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. His last club as a player was Boca Juniors, the team he loved, who had the courtesy to bring him there to end a chaotic, controversial but extraordinary career.

As a manager, he also had a long, though not successful, career. His last club was Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, my beloved Lobo Platense, which hired him when his physical and mental abilities were already visibly diminished. He passed away while still in charge, although he hadn't managed the first team for some time. Out of respect, he wasn't dismissed, and his coach's chair remained empty at every Gimnasia match.

Last night, perhaps as a silent and well-deserved tribute, the Gimnasia team secured passage to the quarterfinals of the Argentine Clausura tournament by defeating Unión de Santa Fe away from home.

Diego Armando Maradona. Rivers of ink could be spilled to describe his life; some already have. Loved, hated, reviled, praised, controversial, irascible, misunderstood—anything can be said about him, and it surely wouldn't be too far from the truth. The only thing beyond dispute is his stature as a player, one of the best of all time, perhaps the greatest.