Maradona dead: updates, reactions and latest news, today
Diego Maradona: reaction to his death
Boca remember
The emotions were clear this morning as Boca Juniors reflected on the loss of a footballing legend ahead of their training session.
Maradona gets better every day
Maradona gets better every day
"It will be the goals, the nutmegs, the stepovers and the mesmerizing plays that will be dug out time and time again, continuing to prove that Maradona gets better each day." Alfredo Relaño's column...
“The biggest mistake of all was taking drugs. This one action saddened and hurt many people especially my wife and my daughters.”
England vs Maradona
Much has been made about the front pages of some English tabloid newspapers following the death of the Argentine, with a focus on the infamous 'Hand of God'.
This annoyed some, others were disgusted by it, and then there were those that looked to point out the uglier tactics employed by the English players to stop the genius, illegal actions that didn't get quite as much attention as the handball.
Napoli's tribute to Maradona
In case you missed it, here was Napoli's tribute to Maradona before their Champions League game last night.
The '10' shirt has long been retired at Napoli in honour of the club's most beloved player, but last night the current team donned the famous 'Maradona 10' shirt ahead of kick off...
Barcelona players held a moment's silence in remembrance of Diego Maradona ahead of their training session today. It was an emotional moment for Argentine captain Lionel Messi. Barca face Osasuna this Sunday...
Diego Maradona's final resting place
Watch: Diego Maradona's final resting place
Thousands of fans paid their final respects to Diego Maradona as his remains made their journey to the Jardín Bella Vista...
Bochini wants airport named after Argentina legend
Maradona grew up with Ricardo Enrique Bochini as a hero and the pair later played together for Argentina.
Bochini, 66, said an appropriate tribute would be to name Argentina's main airport, the Ministro Pistarini International Airport, after Maradona.
"The Argentine airport should be Diego Armando Maradona," Bochini said on TyC Sports.
"Maradona made Argentina known across the world. While we are a beautiful country, we know that the World Cups are always seen all over the world and many know Argentina from Maradona."
Bochini had no doubt Argentina were going to win the World Cup, especially after Maradona's stunning second goal against England in the 1986 quarter-finals.
"Diego was in his best moment and everyone was good," Bochini said. "But apart from being the best player in the world, he was also as a team-mate. Always happy, happy, he made jokes with everyone. He was just one more. Besides everything, he played in Italy, but he was Argentine - Argentine. He never forgot it."
Hernan Crespo reduced to tears on ESPN
Hernan Crespo was reduced to tears when paying an emotional tribute to Diego Maradona - as a boyhood hero of the late Argentina World Cup winner called for an airport to be named after the superstar.
Former Argentina striker Crespo, now coach of Argentinian top flight club Defensa y Justicia, spoke of Maradona’s passing on the night his team played out a 1-1 draw with Vasco da Gama in the Copa Sudamericana.
He told ESPN: "What Diego generated in me as a child, a teenager and after I grew up, as a professional ... he has a lot to do with all of this.
"These have been two very difficult days. It is very difficult to train, talk to the boys, find words. We will try to honour him in the best way, which is by playing soccer, respecting his spirit of freedom, fun and a lot of commitment to where he is. We will try to do that.
"Everyone has their own things, their experiences. I am from the golden generation. I lived it, dreamed it and knew it. I am grateful to life for that."
Crespo's voice was full of emotion as he added: "The pain that I have in my soul cannot be explained." (Perform)
Wayne Rooney on Twitter
Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney has shared a picture of he and Maradona from some years ago at United's Carrington training facilities.
"The best. Rest in peace, Diego Maradona," tweeted the Livepool native.
He would always call me after big defeats – Mourinho
Jose Mourinho said Diego Maradona would always call him after big defeats as a manager, the Tottenham boss remembering the Argentina and Napoli great after his death.
"Maradona and Diego, Maradona the world knows and the world never forgets," Mourinho told reporters during his post-match news conference.
"I made sure that my son knows a lot about him, even being born after Diego Maradona as a player and I know my son will make sure that one day when he is a father he will not let his kids forget. It was similar with my Dad and Di Stefano.
"I never saw Di Stefano play football, my Dad made sure I knew about Di Stefano because with this generation, we have players from my generation and Diego in my generation was what everybody knows.
"Then there is Diego the guy and that one I miss. I feel sorry that I didn't spend more time with him, I would love. His family, his big friends and colleagues are very privileged to spend and know Diego well.
"I know him well enough and in my big defeats, he would always call me. In my victories, never but I will miss Diego. Of course I am very sad but I have a smile because with every minute I spent with him, it was to laugh." (Perform)
Funeral home worker fired after sharing photo of Maradona's body
A funeral home worker in Argentina has been fired after he captured and shared a photos of Diego Maradona on his deathbed.
The photo has caused outrage in Argentina, particularly among his circle of family and close friends, including lawyer Matias Morla.
"In light of the image of Diego on his deathbed that has gone viral, I am going to personally take care of finding the scoundrel who took that photograph," tweeted Morla.
Jorge Valdano's moving farewell
Former Real Madrid player and Agentina team mate to Maradona, Jorge Valdano, has written an moving and eloquent piece for the Guardian. Valdano was a member of the Argentina team that lifted the World Cup in 1986 thanks to the mesmorizing exploits of the number 10:
"Those who screw up their faces sneering as they contemplate the latest incarnation of Maradona, the one who had difficulties walking, struggled to talk, embraced [the Venezuela president Nicolás] Maduro and did whatever he felt like, would be better off abandoning this farewell which embraces the genius and absolves the man. They will not find a single reproach here because the footballer had no flaws and the man was a victim. Of whom? Of me or of you, for example, who at some moment must have eulogised him pitilessly.
"There is something perverse about a life that fulfils all your dreams and Diego suffered the generosity of fate like no other. The terrible, terminal journey from human to myth divided him in two: on the one side Diego; on the other Maradona. Fernando Signorini, his fitness coach, a sensitive, intelligent man who may well have known him better than anyone else, used to say: “I would follow Diego to the end of the earth; I wouldn’t follow Maradona to the corner.”
A screen displays a photo of the late Diego Maradona as players hold a minute of silence in homage to late Argentinean striker prior to the UEFA Europe League Group F football match between Napoli and Rijeka on the San Paolo stadium in Napoli. (Photo: AFP)
'Tough to pull that shirt on', says Napoli's all-time leading scorer Mertens
Dries Mertens said it was "tough to pull that shirt on" after the Napoli player wore the famous number 10 shirt in honour of Diego Maradona prior to their Europa League win over Rijeka.
Argentina and Napoli great Maradona – arguably football's greatest ever player – died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.
Napoli's first match since the passing of their most iconic star this week was played out to the noise of songs and fireworks despite the empty stands at the Stadio San Paolo, where Maradona guided the Italian team to unprecedented Scudetto success in 1987 and 1990.
Captain Lorenzo Insigne laid a wreath before kick-off on Thursday, while the Napoli team lined up in 'Maradona 10' shirts – a jersey that was retired long before Maradona's death. The World Cup winner's name was displayed around the border of the pitch in Naples.
Reflecting on the emotional night, which saw Napoli defeat Croatian visitors Rijeka 2-0, Mertens told Sky Sport Italia: "It was an awful moment for me, so I can only imagine how those who lived through his time at Napoli must have felt.
"He made such a big impact on this city and for everyone in the south of Italy.
"I want to be positive, and focus on my memories of a smiling man who loved football."
"It was tough to pull that shirt on," he said. "In some ways, it was always a dream, but not like this." (Perform)
'Tough to pull that shirt on', says Napoli's all-time leading scorer Mertens
Dries Mertens said it was "tough to pull that shirt on" after the Napoli player wore the famous number 10 shirt in honour of Diego Maradona prior to their Europa League win over Rijeka.
Argentina and Napoli great Maradona – arguably football's greatest ever player – died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.
Napoli's first match since the passing of their most iconic star this week was played out to the noise of songs and fireworks despite the empty stands at the Stadio San Paolo, where Maradona guided the Italian team to unprecedented Scudetto success in 1987 and 1990.
Captain Lorenzo Insigne laid a wreath before kick-off on Thursday, while the Napoli team lined up in 'Maradona 10' shirts – a jersey that was retired long before Maradona's death. The World Cup winner's name was displayed around the border of the pitch in Naples.
Reflecting on the emotional night, which saw Napoli defeat Croatian visitors Rijeka 2-0, Mertens told Sky Sport Italia: "It was an awful moment for me, so I can only imagine how those who lived through his time at Napoli must have felt.
"He made such a big impact on this city and for everyone in the south of Italy.
"I want to be positive, and focus on my memories of a smiling man who loved football."
"It was tough to pull that shirt on," he said. "In some ways, it was always a dream, but not like this."
According to Télam, among those who attended Maradona's funeral were his brothers and sisters: Ana, Rita, Elsa and Raúl, his children: Dalma, Giannina, Jana and Diego Fernando, ex-wife Claudia Villafañe, ex-partner Verónica Ojeda, nephew Daniel Líopez Maradona, former agent Guillermo Cóppola, the Italian ambassador for Argentina, Giuseppe Manzo and Buenos Aires Security Minister Sergio Berni.
Worker sacked after taking photograph of Maradona's corpse
Worker sacked after taking selfie with Maradona's corpse
A funeral worker who was involved in Maradona's wake, showed poor taste and a lack of respect.
Read more:
Maradona's burial
The funeral service was brief and attended by close family only, there were no special guests. Maradona's family refused an offer from the state for the body to be transported to the cemetery by helicopter.
The Jardin Bella Vista cemetery, in Buenos Aires where Maradona will be laid to rest.
Buenos Aires monuments
Some of Buenos Aires landmark monuments, such as the obelisk in the Plaza de la República, have been lit up with projections of Maradona, as shown here in this image.
Around 30 guests will attend Maradona's funeral, icludig his ex-wife Claudia Villafañe and daughters Dalma and Giannina.
The Jardín de Bella Vista, where Diego Maradona will be laid to rest alongside his parents, is a private cemetery which is located about 40 kilometres from the centre of Buenos Aires. It is where his parents are buried - his mother, Dalma Salvadora Franco, known as "Doña Tota" was interred there in 2011, and his father Don Diego Maradona, in 2015.
Fans follow Maradona's hearse to cemetery
A large group of motorcyclists follow the hearse carrying the body of Diego Maradona to Jardín de Bella Vista cemetery. The funeral procession suffered delays after hitting traffic jams but has now arrived at the cremetorium.
Maradona's coffin en route to Bella Vista
The hearse carrying the body of Diego Maradona pictured travelling down the 25 de Mayo motorway on its way to Jardín de Bella Vista cemetery.
Maradona's coffin leaves the Casa Rosada
Maradona's coffin has been taken out of the Casa Rosado. A funeral procession, with police escort, has begun as Maradona's body heads towards Bella Vista cemetery, his final resting place.
Napoli tonight
Maradona eterno.
Another view from street level
Impressive tribute to Maradona outside the San Paolo tonight
Napoli fans light up the San Paolo in memory of their idol
Stunning aerial image of San Paolo taken ahead of this evening's Europa League game between Napoli and HNK Rijeka.
LaLiga and Ligue 1 to hold pre-match tributes
The top divisions in Spain and France will hold tributes to Diego Maradona before each of this weekend's matches. All games in Spain's top two divisions in the coming matchday will be preceded by a minute's silence, competition organisers said in a statement. LaLiga said the pre-match tributes will convey condolences "to his family, friends and all the fans around the world who remember him".
Maradona spent two seasons with Barcelona, who face Osasuna at home on Saturday, before returning to LaLiga with Sevilla in 1992. At Camp Nou, flags were flown at half-mast on Thursday, the day on which the 1986 World Cup-winning star was being laid to rest in Argentina.
In France, the pre-game protocols for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 will undergo "exceptional" changes for this weekend as a mark of respect for Maradona. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) said: "At this moment of great sadness for football, the LFP, the clubs and the UNFP (the French footballers' union) wanted to place this 12th matchday under the star of Diego Maradona."
Floral offering laid by shrine to Maradona outside the San Paolo
Lorenzo Insigne and Tommaso Starace did the honours on an emotional evening in Naples.
Maradona remembered at San Paolo
A minute's silence was observed ahead of to kick off at the San Paolo ahead of Napoli's Europa League Group F match against HNK Rijeka. Both teams wore black arms in memory of the late Diego Maradona.
Comparing a ball with oranges
Any image that allows you to include Maradona, Zidane and Platini is always a good thing in our books.
And we just love the quote.
A moment in time
That 1986 World Cup defined Diego Maradona for many, and what an image that is as he jumps into the arms of Ricardo Guisti during the final.
Buenos Aires tension
Mariela López has shared what appears to be further evidence of rather heavy-handed police treatment of those out on the streets.
Maradona in words
Scroll through our selection of articles that cover various aspects of the man who was Diego Maradona, what happened to him, and what those close to him thought of him.
Making an impact
Maradona on 144 front pages from around the world.
Thanks to @CyrilPetit for sharing the image.
Desperation to pay final respects
As you can see from the footage here, fans are throwing themselves over the high fence at the Casa Rosada to get in.
Maradona in action
His off-the-field stories are legendary, the tributes to him are deeply touching... but there is no doubt that what he did with a ball on the pitch was what people wanted to witness most.
Here is a little collection of videos you may enjoy.
Argentina mourns
Tears and sobbing could be heard from the mourners of all ages and classes who had gathered from the early morning to pay their respects to Maradona as his body lay in state. Among the lamentations, football chants rang out, chief among them: “¡Olé, olé, olé, olé, Die-go! Die-go!”
Maradona’s body was held in a wooden coffin draped with the blue-and-white national flag and an Argentina strip with the No 10 that had been part of his nickname “D10S” – a play on dios, the Spanish word for “god”. Fans threw flowers, football shirts and rosaries on to the coffin while, outside, health workers distributed water among the huge crowds standing under a punishing southern springtime sun as they waited their turn to enter.
Uki Goñi in Buenos Aires reports for The Guardian
Tear gas used by police
Daniel Edwards highlights the tension that is building in the Argentine capital as police attempt to disperse the crowds that came to pay their respects.
Take a moment
The team at the Guardian's Football Weekly have created their own touching audio tribute to the famous number 10 and it is well worth a listen.
Adding their insight and thoughts are Jonathan Wilson and Philippe Auclair among others with real connections to the stories surrounding the legend.
Emotions
There is an outpouring of emotions on the streets of Buenos Aires, Naples and many places in between and beyond.
This photo seems to have hit a chord with many.
Caniggia devastated to lose his "soul brother"
Message from Claudio Paul Caniggia, one of Maradona's best friends: "I'm devastated. No words can express how I feel".
Mascherano "eternally grateful"
El Jefecito took to social media with his own message for Maradona to say he and his fellow Argentineans will be "eternally grateful for everything you gave us".
There are no words... Newell's
Maradona spent one season back home with Newell's Old Boys before ending his playing days at Boca Juniors.
Maradona's season at Sevilla
More messages from the clubs of Maradona's playing career. He scored eight goals in 29 appearances during his one season at Sevilla, 1992-3.
Argentinean Football Association in mourning
The Argentinean Football Association issued a message on social media at the news of Maradona's passing. AFA President Claudio Tapia expressed "deep sorrow for the death of our legend, Diego Armando Maradona. You will always be in our hearts".
Pelé, O Rei's sadness at losing "a great friend"
Whoever you might consider the greatest footballer of all-time, Pelé and Maradona are among the best to have graced the game. O Rei expressed his sadness to lose "a great friend and football legend".
"What sad news. I have lost a great friend and the world has lost a legend. There is still much to be said, but for now, may God give strength to family members. One day I hope we will play football again in the sky".
Pain still sinking in at Napoli
Maradona spent seven magical seasons with Napoli. The club was lost for words at the news of his passing.
Menotti “destroyed” by news of Maradona’s death
The Argentine coach joined the tributes for Maradona, “I can’t believe it, it’s terrible, I’m destroyed. I cannot out into words how I feel, just a lot of pain. Nothing I say will make ay difference, I cannot even think at the moment. I’m heartbroken”.
Barcelona pay tribute to Maradona
Maradona moved to Europe after one season at Boca, joining Barcelona after the 1982 World Cup for a world record fee of 5.5 million euros. He remained at Camp Nou for two seasons but struggled with injuries and was moved on in July 1984, joining Napoli.
Boca Juniors pay tribute to club legend
Maradona had two stints at Boca Juniors, the club he joined from Argentinos Juniors in 1981. He spent just one season with Boca before joining Barcelona but would return to see out his playing days there in 1995.
Early tributes
We began bringing you the floods of reactions from the world of football as the news broke and we will start this new feed with a selection of those early ones...
Post-Maradona: tributes and reaction
The football world shook at the news that Argentine legend Diego Maradona had died of a heart attack at his home in Buenos Aires.
Maradona, who recently underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain, had only celebrated his 60th birthday last month.
Considered as one of the greatest players the game has ever produced, but also so much more to the people of Argentina and others, the news of his death has resulted in a massive reaction from around the globe, and we want to share that with you.