I can't believe people still complain about that. Y'all must sure see football in a different way than us, I can bet you anything you want that if anyone scored an important goal against Argentina with the hand, 99% of the Argentinians won't say anything about the player and will unleash all their fury against their referee.

Heck, there was a goal (not as important, though), in the Copa America 95, Argentina was winning over Brazil 2-1 with less than five minutes to go, there was a cross, Túlio couldn't reach it so he extended (very obviously) his arm, killed the ball to his leg and scored. Brazil then won in penalties. Nobody in Argentina ever called Túlio a cheater, the referee was called everything.

Or do you call a player a cheater when he commits a professional foul and he isn't red carded?

Exactly >_>

Yes, but he rehabilitated, supposedly, succesfully some years ago. In fact, I wouldn't worry about his health (he's been quite healthy in the last years, since 2004 when he had his last problem), I would worry more about his abilities as a coach (or lack of them, in fact)

i am just hearing this right now, bad move really, maradona is one of the if not THE best player ever, but he does not seem like a good coach, i saw him as a mascot in the last world cup(not officially lol), he should stay a mascot.

Poor Argentina will struggle at the next World Cup.

The guy is a mess, all he does is snort cocaine. The only time he stops doing drugs is to cheat in a football match, I'm English though so it has been pretty much bred into me to hate him.

nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstacy and alcohol, co co co co co co cocaine

Good on him

That's a very, very good point. But, I think it's a bit flawed. The reason most football interested people dislike Maradona (I don't), is that he had a somewhat bad relationship with the sport (or so they think at least). He did cocaine, and he did a few cheats. He also pissed of a lot of christians by calling it "the hand of God" (and please, is that what he actually said? Honestly, why do we always call it the hand of god, and not "El mano de el Dio"or whatever he said).

People who don't know a lot of football, have heard this from people who know a lot of football, and they generally then use the example of him using the hand.

Most people who are interested in football have come over that, and are rather a bit upset with other things he did, whereas people who are not-so-interested only have that example to use.

The actual quote (in spanish), when they asked how the goal was scored, is this:

"Un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios"

(translated: A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God).

So no, I don't think he was misquoted.

He later in his autobiography commented that he regretted saying that:

"Now I feel I am able to say what I couldn't then. At the time I called it "the hand of God." What hand of God? It was the hand of Diego! And it felt a little bit like pickpocketing the English"

But seriously, there have been countless of irregular matches in history, for example the Argentina-England match of 1966 World Cup here is known as "El robo del siglo" (the steal of the century).

I think that not liking him because he scored a handball isn't a good excuse, after all, if the ref had noticed the play he'd have been booked and nobody would have remembered it. But whatever, I don't like him because in 1996 he missed 6 penalties in a row for my team, so...