Trailblazer Maradona left indelible impression on the shores of UAE
- Last updated: November 26, 2020 | 23:22
Mohammad Abdullah, Staff Reporter
If football could be personified, probably it would become Diego Maradona, the man, who epitomises what it takes to be a legend.
The diminutive Argentine, who stood tallest in the world of football, left a void in the sports fraternity that would be impossible to fill.
The whole world plunged into mourning as the news of his sudden demise spread like wildfire. He left the fans, players and the administrators of the clubs in tears.
Maradona’s exploits as a player are impeccable and his mercurial rise to stardom is a fairytale written by the ‘Hand of God’ Himself.
Maradona’s chutzpah fetched him the adulation of fans and foes alike.
He will always remain alive in the hearts of everyone.
He enchanted his fans and rivals alike all over the world with his playing style, dribbles, dins and dabs, which redefined the way, the game was played before him.
The footballing genius had a long-lasting relationship with the UAE, where he donned the managerial role for two clubs – Al Wasl and Fujairah. A big chunk of the last decade of his life was spent in the UAE.
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Maradona first stepped on the UAE shores when he accepted a coaching assignment with Al Wasl in 2011. The news sent a wave of excitement across the region, particularly the UAE.
He arrived to a rousing welcome amid fanfare as tens of thousands of people flocked the stadium to have a glimpse of their favourite star.
He steered Al Wasl to the GCC Clubs Championship final, which they lost 5-4 on penalties to Al Muharraq of Bahrain after the aggregate scores were tied 4-4. He parted ways with the club in 2012.
Ahmad Yousef Al Balooshi, head of media and marketing at Al Wasl, said everyone in the club is grief-stricken with the news of the sudden death of the legend.
“Though his association with the club was only for a year, he left us memories to cherish for a lifetime. Everyone is shocked.
“May be, we did not have a great squad at that time when he was the manager and we failed to win GCC Clubs Championship under him,” said Balooshi.
“But he was a great coach and mentor and knew exactly how to bring the best out of each player. He shared a very healthy relationship with all the players.
“Once he said ‘Al Wasl will always remain close to my heart’. He visited the club often even after leaving us,” informed the media head of Al Wasl.
“Maradona put Al Wasl and Arabian Gulf League (AGL) on the world map.
After his signing we became famous all over the world.
“When we rope in any international player, they ask ‘is it the same club where Maradona was the manager?’ His association with the club has done a world of good for us. It was a great pleasure to have him here,” apprised Balooshi.
But such is the aura of the UAE, that the globe-trotting coach was in awe of the country. Even after parting ways with Al Wasl, Maradona’s romanticism with the UAE continued which bloomed into a new relationship.
He was appointed as the ambassador of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC).
The brand Maradona proved to be a fruitful collaboration for the council and they reaped rich rewards.
Former Italy international and an old friend of Maradona, Walter Zenga, who lives in Dubai said he is devastated with the news of his death.
“I am not in the position to say anything. I am devastated. I have lost a very dear friend of mine. When he was the coach of Al Wasl, I was managing Al Nasr. We often used to meet. It is an irreparable loss,” said Zenga.
Zenga and Maradona played against each other in the semi-final of 1990 World Cup, which Italy lost 4-3 via penalty shootout.
Maradona joined Fujairah as head coach in 2017. They were then striving to gain promotion to the first division. But they failed in their objective after losing in the playoff.
Fujairah also paid a heartfelt tribute to the legend as they tweeted: “Beautiful days. Unforgettable memories that will be remembered that the best touch of football was here with us.”
After his stint with Fujairah in 2018, Maradona quietly faded away from the limelight to take up another challenge in his native country.
But the trailblazer has left an indelible footprint on the shores of the UAE, which will keep on motivating the sports aspirants to follow those marks on their way to stardom and glory for the generations to come.