Diego Armando Maradona, an icon of Argentine football, left a legacy of iconic phrases that have become part of the collective unconscious of the people. These phrases, many of which emerged during emotional or controversial moments in his life, reveal different facets of the former player.
In a contemporary interview, Maradona made a statement that over time was taken out of context, shortening it to 'to become champion,' referring to the 'Bicho' team from Paternal and not to the Argentine National Team. In 1995, he returned to wear the Boca jersey in a match against Colón. Maradona, regarding the example that society and the media expected from him, stated that he never wanted to be a role model.
In his farewell match at La Bombonera in 2001, he said: "I made mistakes and I paid, but the ball does not stain," referring to his sanctions in football. During a television discussion in the 90s, Maradona interjected with the phrase: "You don't feel pity for anyone, maestro." Another of his remembered phrases is: "The turtle got away," alluding to an episode with the former U.S. ambassador to Argentina.
After a match in the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Maradona expressed his pain with the phrase: "They cut my legs," due to his exclusion from a doping control. In his childhood in Villa Fiorito, Maradona humorously described his reality: "I grew up in a private neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Privately without light, water, or telephone." Additionally, on several occasions he referred to how the press treated him, as in the phrase "More false than a light blue dollar."
This Wednesday, when Maradona would have turned 64 years old, we remember his legacy of phrases that immortalize him. His imprint continues to endure in the Argentine people, beyond his feats on the field.
