Hyderabad: Diego Maradona was football’s archetypal troubled genius, a world-beating player whose life and career scaled the most dazzling heights but also plumbed the darkest depths. Here is a timeline of football legend Diego Armando Maradona of Argentina. A World Cup winner, he passed away on Wednesday, aged 60, in Tigre, Buenos Aires.
Timeline:
- 1960: Born on October 30, in Lanus, Argentina
- 1970: Joins Los Cebollitas youth team
- 1971: Scouted age 11 for the junior team of Argentinos Juniors
- 1976: Turns professional, makes his pro debut aged 15, joins Argentinos Juniors
- 1977: Makes his full international debut for Argentina, aged 16
- 1978: Becomes youngest player ever to be picked by Argentine national team
- 1979: Scores his first international goal, and wins the junior World Cup
- 1980: Signs with Barcelona of the Spanish League
- 1981: Transferred to Boca Juniors for $1.96 million
- 1982: Plays his first World Cup for Argentina and scores twice. Is sent off in the game against Brazil. The same year, transferred to Barcelona FC for $9.81 million, a world record at the time
- 1983: Helps Barcelona win the Spanish Cup
- 1984: Is transferred from Barcelona to Serie A Napoli for $13.54 million, another record
- 1986: Wins World Cup as Argentina captain. Scores two goals against England, including the infamous 'Hand of God' goal and another after dribbling past six players -- it was voted 'Goal of the Century' in a FIFA poll in 2002
- 1987: Helps Napoli to their maiden Italian title
- 1989: Gets married to Claudia Villafane
- 1990: Faces a paternity suit after defeating to West Germany in the World Cup final
- 1991: Fails a drug test, and handed a 15-month suspension after testing positive for cocaine. Leaves Italy
- 1992: Stages a comeback at Sevilla in Spanish League
- 1993: Returns to Argentina, joins Newell's Old Boys, after a disagreement with Sevilla
- 1994: Tests positive for ephedrine and is sent back home from World Cup in America
- 1995: Plays final season for Boca Juniors
- 1996: Checks into a clinic for drug addiction
- 1997: Announces retirement from professional soccer, aged 37, following another failed drugs test
- 2000: Autobiography 'Yo Soy El Diego' becomes a bestseller. Goes to Cuba for two years. Complains of heart problems, collapses
- 2002: Relocates to Cuba to fight drug addiction issue
- 2004: Admitted to a hospital after he collapses again
- 2005: Interviews Pele as his first guest on his talk show
- 2008: Appointed head coach of Argentina national team; he performed this role for 18 months, until 2010 World Cup. Visits India and opens Indian Football School in Kolkata
- 2013: Joins Argentine Primera D club Deportivo Riestra as 'spiritual coach'
- 2017: Visits India again, plays in Kolkata
- 2018: Maradona attends Argentina's 2018 WC match against Nigeria, has a health scare at the end of it
- 2019: Becomes head coach of Argentine club Gimnasia de La Plata
- 2020: Leaves Olivos clinic in Buenos Aires after surgery for a blood clot in the brain; dies on November 25
