Diego Maradona death: English media slammed for holding onto Hand of God grudge

Football legend Diego Maradona breathed his last on Wednesday at his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Argentine World Cup winner suffered a fatal cardiac arrest just days after his 60th birthday. Fans and players all across the globe paid tribute to Maradona, who has often been regarded as one of the finest to ever play the sport. 

Also Read: Diego Maradona Dead: Messi And Ronaldo Pay Heartfelt Tribute To Argentine World Cup Winner

Diego Maradona death: English media slammed for Argentina vs England 1986 clash reference 

English media on Thursday paid testimony to the fact that some wounds do not heal after their reporting of Diego Maradona's death. While the rest of the world paid tribute to the football legend, tabloids in England decided to remember the fateful Maradona Hand of God incident which saw the Three Lions eliminated from the 1986 World Cup. In a controversial quarter-final clash, the Argentine had scored the opener with the help of his hand, which went unnoticed by the match officials.

Also Read: Who Is Diego Maradona's Ex-wife Claudia Villafane? How Many Kids Did Maradona Have?

Maradona had then claimed it to be the Hand of God and eventually lifted the World Cup, also being awarded the Golden Ball for being the best player in the tournament. England have seemingly not forgotten that chastening defeat and newspapers including The Sun, the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express used Maradona's death to sum up their emotions. The Daily Star, on the other hand, carried a VAR joke to report Maradona's death, much to the irritation of fans and readers across the globe. Netizens lashed out at the 'disgraceful' English media after their headlines made way online, while many simply suggested them to let it go.

Also Read: Diego Maradona Dead: Argentina President Decrees 3-day Mourning Following Legend's Death

Diego Maradona death: A look at the Argentine legend's career 

Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Maradona began his career with Argentinos Juniors, before sealing a then-record $4 million transfer to Boca Juniors where he lifted the Argentine domestic league title scoring 28 goals in 40 appearances for the club. After an impressive 1982 World Cup, Diego joined Barcelona for a then world-record fee of £5 million ($7.6 million). The Argentine legend's career in Barcelona was marred by injuries and controversies before a brawl against Atheltic Bilbao players ended his Camp Nou stint.

Also Read: England Great Gary Linekar Slammed For Hiding Cheeky Pun In His Diego Maradona Condolence

The Argentine played 58 games for Blaugrana, scoring 38 goals, including a special strike at the Santiago Bernabeu which saw him receive a standing ovation. Maradona then moved to Napoli, where he truly achieved greatness, scoring 115 goals and winning two league titles.

However, the World Cup winner went through a series of off-field problems including his cocaine addiction, which saw him leave Napoli in 1992. He enjoyed stints at Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys and returned to Boca Juniors before calling time on his career. 

(Image Courtesy: England Twitter)