Opinion Piece | Why You Need to Watch Asif Kapadia's Diego Maradona this Festive Period
Diego Maradona was really, really good at football: This we all know. Just how good he was however, is something I think I have only fully come to appreciate, within the past couple of weeks. As I’m sure was the case for many of us, the passing of Diego prompted me to revisit one of my favourite documentary films of the past few years. The documentary is simply titled ‘Diego Maradona’ and was directed by Asif Kapadia. You know Asif: Amy, Senna to name just a few of his successful films.
Maradona is presented to the Napoli faithful for the first time | Photo Credit
Whenever the “Greatest of All Time” debate is brought to the table, I have always been the evil villain in the corner who insists that Messi is not the “GOAT” (as erm, the cool kids say?), but it is Diego Armando Maradona who deserves this title. I have to be honest here: I have no real idea why I have always maintained this argument. Apart from countless clips of his 1986 performance vs England during the World Cup in Mexico, I have actually seen very little of him play. The primary reason for that is because I was emmm….Well I wasn’t alive during the Argentine’s heyday. In fact, I would have been just 4 years of age when Diego finished his second spell at Boca.
So why exactly do I then put Maradona up on this pedestal? Why not Messi?
Whilst I am not the most active La Liga Fan, I have watched countless games in which Messi played a key role and by key role, I mean that he literally won the game by himself. I have even had the privilege to see him live in action. In May of 2019, the world gasped as the Barcelona player scored one of the most ridiculous free kicks of this century. I have watched countless YouTube of clips of the little wizard, weave his way through defenders and end goalkeepers’ careers. Lionel Messi is not human: He is an alien sent who was sent here from another planet to show us all how football should be played. All of the above considered, I really should be backing Leo whenever the “GOAT” argument breaks out…...But I don’t.
Lionel Messi pays tribute to Maradona | Photo Credit
Back to Diego. Why exactly have I always wanted to believe that he is the greatest? Perhaps it is the stories that my Dad passed onto me. Maybe it’s because of that beautiful 1986 Argentina WC shirt. It could be down to the pure outrageousness of the “Hand of God”. All I know is that prior to watching Asif Kapadia’s documentary, I believed that Maradona was the greatest player of all time, without really knowing why.
Focusing mainly on the Argentine’s spell in the South Italian city of Naples, Diego Maradona gives us incredible insight into the life of one of sport’s most well-known characters. Naples in the 1980’s was a city on its knees. The Italian North-South divide was rife, the Camorra left their mark of influence all over the city and perhaps most devastating for the Neapolitans, their beloved football team was in freefall. The people needed hope, they needed somebody to adore. Whilst the transfer of Diego Maradona from Barcelona to Napoli raised the eyebrows of the footballing press, this move was both what Maradona himself needed and also what the people of Naples had craved for so long.
The film focuses on Maradona’s life as a whole and focuses quite heavily on some of the less satisfactory elements of the Argentine’s lifestyle: His drug habit, his involvement with the Camorra, etc. Whilst all of this absolutely blew my mind, it was the clips of Maradona donning the light blue of Napoli which left me with my jaw dropped. The goals, the dribbles, the flicks: I could have watched it for hours.
When Oasis met Diego | Photo Credit
There was one particular scene of the film which made me simply burst out laughing. During a training session, we see Diego flick up a ball and repeatedly kick the ball up with the backside of his heel. It just all looks so effortless, so effortless in fact that I tried it myself last night before 5-a-side. Let’s just say, I won’t be expecting a call from Asif Kapadia anytime soon.
If you do one thing this festive period (If you haven’t already done so), make sure you watch this documentary. It is a fitting tribute to one of football’s most influential characters. If you, like me, have regarded Maradona as the greatest player of all time, without really knowing why, this documentary will perhaps justify your belief.