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It is clip to consign Diego Maradona’s Hand of God to a depository piece. For 40 years that infinitesimal and Maradona’s unforgettable “goal of nan century” coloured nan psyche and passion of Argentinian football. Today things are very different, and nan main logic is Lionel Messi. By asserting himself complete nan representation of Maradona, Messi is establishing a caller Argentina.
An impressive 2–1 semi-final triumph complete England showcased a revitalised Argentina who spell into Sunday’s last against Spain relying connected a simple, powerful weapon: fantabulous football.
“For English football, this is much achy than nan Hand of God,” Tomás Abraham says. He has dedicated his life to writing, studying accuracy and analysing nine and nan quality condition, though his top passion lies elsewhere: football.
At 79, Abraham organises his regular schedule astir Champions League and Premier League matches, which he follows from his freely level successful Colegiales – a trendy neighbourhood successful Buenos Aires – aliases from his book-filled office, wherever he shuts himself distant for hours to write.
“The English see nan Hand of God to beryllium illegal, a cheat,” Abraham says. “And this hurts each nan much because they were defeated by a superior team that they were peculiarly keen to beat. The coiled runs deeper.”
For galore years, a ample proportionality of Argentinians looked down connected Messi, clinging to nan Maradona myth. Messi couldn’t beryllium Messi; he had to beryllium Maradona. While nan remainder of nan world dreamed of having their ain Messi, a staggering number of Argentinians maintained that he would dissolve for illustration a sweetener lump successful a cup of beverage nan infinitesimal he came up against a mates of reliable defenders successful nan Copa Libertadores.
Which is why Messi’s top triumph is that he has ceased to beryllium viewed done nan prism of Maradona and earned nan recognition – and unanimous affection – of his people.
Maradona was much than a footballer; he was besides nan principle of Argentinidad, aliases astatine slightest a definite benignant of Argentinidad. For a agelong time, it was intolerable to understand Maradona without first knowing Argentina, but location came a constituent erstwhile it became intolerable to understand Argentina without first knowing Maradona, truthful intertwined and akin had nan 2 become.
Maradona embodied nan superb and haughty Argentina, nan Argentina convinced of its destiny arsenic a superpower. That is besides why Maradona felt entitled to express his sentiment and walk judgement connected everything: connected George Bush and nan pope, connected Fifa, connected his idols Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez. He could opportunity 1 point and its opposite, loving and hating nan aforesaid personification successful a matter of months.
A tremendous talent successful galore respects and often kind-hearted, Maradona was besides adept astatine disparaging, hurting, attacking and provoking. Ultimately, he resembled his state excessively closely, pinch its awesome lights and inevitable shadows.
As nan merchandise of a bully authorities education, Maradona was a man who understood nan meaning and weight of each word. He had a talent for expressing himself, contempt having been calved and raised successful very humble circumstances.
Messi, a kid of a somewhat much spineless Argentina, lacks that talent; his vocabulary is limited, his sentences are short and deficiency depth, though they person improved markedly successful caller years. This is really he feels comfortable, and this is really he has shaped a different benignant of Argentinian shot personality (and Argentinian identity).
Carlos Mac Allister played alongside Maradona for Argentina. He is besides nan begetter of Alexis Mac Allister. He has been successful nan US for weeks watching his boy astatine nan World Cup and will beryllium astatine nan final.
“The quality betwixt Diego and Leo is their backstage lives,” he says. “And that’s not to speak sick of Diego. I’m not going to explicate what he himself has already said. Thanks to Diego being Diego, Messi is Messi today. With an knowing of what happened, Messi was capable to activity retired really to return nan crippled to nan adjacent level.”
Another mentation for why nan Hand of God is successful a symbolic museum lies successful nan inquest seeking to found why Maradona died connected 25 November 2020 and whether his decease could person been prevented. The inquest was not front-page news here, nor did it make sustained nationalist interest. It was arsenic if Argentinians, ashamed of nan harsh circumstances successful which Maradona died, preferred to subtly move nan page. And what amended measurement to do truthful than by embracing Messi?
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After nan triumph complete England, Messi expressed moving words for Maradona, who had erstwhile criticised his deficiency of leadership: “I’m judge Diego is enjoying this immensely from up above. Let him bask it, because it’s a gift for him too.”
To dwell connected nan Hand of God is to delve almost into shot prehistory, to talk astir thing nary longer possible, arsenic nan columnist Héctor Gambini pointed retired successful Clarín, Argentina’s astir wide publication newspaper.
“None of nan players who took portion successful this Argentina v England lucifer had moreover been calved erstwhile Maradona scored his immortal goals,” he wrote. “Goals that VAR would person disallowed: nan first for a handball by nan Blues’ No 10. The 2nd for a foul by nan Blues’ No 2 [Sergio Batista] connected nan Whites’ No 4 [Glenn Hoddle], pursuing which Argentina regained possession, nan shot ended up astatine Maradona’s feet and, 13 seconds later, successful nan English net.”
Mariano Israelit, 1 of Maradona’s closest friends, says Maradona is nary longer No 1. “Diego was the top of each … up to a point. But Messi has now surpassed him; what Messi has achieved is unsurpassable. Diego played for a squad for illustration Napoli, which was fundamentally 10 donkeys and Diego. Messi played for a Barcelona broadside surrounded by stars. We person to beryllium realistic and honest; I return my chapeau disconnected to Messi.”
Israelit criticises nan English stance connected their 1986 crippled by harking backmost to nan 1966 World Cup final. “An Englishman has nary correct whatsoever to opportunity that Maradona scored pinch his manus aliases that he cheated, because nan only tourney they ever won, they won pinch a extremity that wasn’t a goal.”
What tin we expect from nan final? Abraham does not look favourably connected nan European champions. “They disregard everything we’ve contributed to Spanish football: Alfredo Di Stéfano and Lionel Messi,” he says.
Argentina has enriched Spanish football, and Spanish clubs person helped Argentinian players develop. The database of Argentinians who person played and managed successful Spain is dizzying: Di Stéfano and Messi, yes, but besides Mario Kempes, Maradona, César Luis Menotti, Carlos Bilardo, Lionel Scaloni. The country’s top players and managers. And thousands more.
Mac Allister highlights that Argentina are no longer conscionable Messi, arsenic they were astatine nan commencement of nan World Cup. The squad person woken up. “I spot an Argentina squad that had been playing astatine 60% of its capacity, but which played astatine 90% against England,” Mac Allister says. “Against Spain, it will request to play astatine 100%. One point is clear: we were playing pinch bosom and soul, but we were lacking a spot of finesse. Not immoderate much – Argentina dominated England.”
Or, arsenic nan Uruguayan journalist Emiliano Hernández Pereyra puts it, fed up pinch galore of his compatriots – frustrated aft a very mediocre World Cup – criticising neighbouring Argentina: Argentina make them jealous.
“These lads person everything I want for my country, but location are a batch of stubborn Uruguayans. Do you deliberation Argentina are conscionable lucky? Please … It’s an bonzer team; they’ve sewage a definite thing that nary different squad has.”
