Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona is revered in Argentina, except, apparently, by the border police.

The 55-year-old football legend was reportedly detained by border police at an airport while traveling to Dubai from Buenos Aires. The police supposedly accused Maradona of having a false or stolen passport.

Maradona responded as would be expected, by throwing out conspiracy theories.

“I won’t let anyone control my life,” he told Diario Popular.

Argentina’s opening match of the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico was against a South Korean side that was participating in the tournament for the first time since 1954. Argentina’s 1982 World Cup campaign, after having won the 1978 edition on home turf, had been a disaster. 

It had been Maradona’s first World Cup and defeats against Italy and Brazil had offered a glimpse of how to disrupt the Argentinian star: aggressively man-mark and foul the Argentine No. 10.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son who abandoned his roots and wasted his inheritance only to later return is one of the oldest tropes used in books, movies, and television. Guess what, soccer has had more than its fair share of prodigal sons, and here are two of the best examples in the world’s game. 

#1: Fernando Torres | Atletico Madrid

We're going to preface this article by saying this: Diego Maradona was a great player and is one of the legends of the game. Good, now that that's out of the way, Diego Maradona is a huge hypocrite.

Diego Maradona’s verbal influence has only increased since the heights of his playing days — the cult of his personality dictating that many give credence to his ill-thought-out claims. On Thursday, Maradona should’ve put his foot in his mouth once again when discussing the leadership qualities of his Argentine compatriot, Lionel Messi.

On Friday, Liverpool FC defender Mamadou Sakho was named in a UEFA investigation concerning a possible anti-doping violation.

Diego Maradona has always been forthcoming when talking about the addiction problems that plagued his life both during and after his playing days. A cocaine addict and alcoholic from the mid-1980s until 2004, Maradona was lucky to escape with his life following overdoses in 2000 and 2004.