One Hundred to Zero in a Lifetime

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Celebrities tend to be their own enemies in the sense that they make bad choices for themselves. Diego, the once proud soccer player and hero of the peoples started his decline to a lowly broke and drug addict in his time at Napoli. In the 89’-90’ season, Maradona was fined $70,000 from his club for missing games practices and cocaine because of “stress” (New York Times). He served a fifteen month and was released by Napoli for failing another drug test. He went around South America and Spain looking for a club to take him but no one wanted him for any longer than a year. In 1994, the world cup in the US was going on and Maradona showed up to lead his country to yet another victory. However, he once again failed a drug test this time for ephedrine doping (New York Times). Over the course of two decades Maradona retired and tried to become a manager of a team but nothing worked for him. In March of 2009, Italian officials announced that Maradona owed the Italian Government €37 million in taxes; €23.5 million of which was accrued interest on his original debt (BBC News). By 2012, Maradona had only paid €42,000, two luxury watches and a set of earrings (WSN.com). Diego worked his way far in the world and ended up making the mistake of thinking he was beyond Authority and disappointment.

After his tragic fall, Diego still had loyal people who empathized for him. Maradona fell from an incredible high standing to a very low point in his life. He was the hero, visionary, idol, hope, and the spirt of Argentina in the twentieth century. Everyone loved him dearly as if they knew him personally. The people of Argentina compared him to Achilles stating: “He has been so important for the Argentine people… And death would glorify him. Maradona can offer no more and like Achilles, he should die young and glorious” (Contemporary Hispanic Biography). Diego was a hero and maybe if he had ended his career in a better way people would have remembered him in that way. People who support Maradona do so because he carried the hope of many. One supporter quoted: “We are the greatest when Maradona is the greatest” (Contemporary Hispanic Biography).

From an Icon of hope and joy to a crook with an addiction, Maradona has created tears of joy and sorrow.

Works Cited

Contemporary Hispanic Biography. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2002. Print.

"Maradona Appeals for Italy Tax 'justice'." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 May 2017.

"Maradona Sentenced." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Sept. 1991. Web. 14 May 2017.

May, John. "BBC SPORT | Football | Maradona's Fall from Grace." BBC News. BBC, 19 Apr. 2004. Web. 14 May 2017.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Diego Maradona." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 14 May 2017.