None can do what Maradona did for Argentina in 1986 World Cup: Novy Kapadia

In a Q&A, the author and football critic dwells on the late legends football style, his failure as a coach and his political leanings

Diego Maradona was football's misguided rebel. Misdirected, flawed, infuriatingly cocky, but mostly human. Maradona’s sorcery with a football at his feet was best seen in Mexico’s Azteca Stadium during the 1986 Fifa World Cup, where he cemented his legacy and, days later, gave Argentina their second World Cup title, the nostalgia of which lingers to this day. The protagonist of that magical day died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60.

Diego Maradona, football icon who led Argentina to glory, dies at 60

Business Standard talked to Novy Kapadia, an author and football critic, on Maradona, his career, and the ability to inspire teams to punch above their weights. Edited excerpts:
 

How significant was Maradona's role in Argentina's win in the 1986 Fifa World Cup?

France came into the tournament as European champions where its strong midfield had dominated other teams. In fact, France and Brazil, with much better teams, were the favourites to win the 1986 World Cup. However, it was Maradona’s Argentina which won the coveted trophy. 

Not many had given Argentina a chance, given that most players in the team were average. But Maradona instilled a fighting spirit in them. It was Maradona’s sorcery with the ball and his ability to motivate the team that did it for Argentina. He either scored or assisted 75 per cent of Argentina’s goals in the 1986 world cup. This type of domination by a single player was unprecedented. For context, during Pele’s prime, in the 1970 World Cup, his individual contribution to the team was 50 per cent. No man can do what Maradona did for Argentina.

In club football, too, Maradona rejuvenated the whole Napoli city and took the team to a whole new level. He was an unbelievable genius who played every match with great emotion.

Where does Maradona stand in your list of best ever soccer player? How's he different from, say Pele or Messi?

I consider both Pele and Maradona as the greatest-ever players, because Pele won three World Cups while Maradona won one and took Argentina to another final (in 1990) with a very average team. They were magical and could inspire their teammates with their passion and skill. That said, Brazil could have won the World Cups even without Pele, while it's very unlikely that Argentina would have won the 1986 World Cup without Maradona. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, lacks the kind of mental toughness Maradona possessed.

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How do you analyse his managerial career?

He was a great player but not as good a manager. It has often been said that a great player doesn’t necessarily become a great coach-- though there are exceptions. In Maradona's case, it seems so true. Just look at some of the greats of the game, like Pele, who never coached a team; and this is not surprising at all. As a manager, you cannot control the game to the extent that you could as a player, and that’s the main reason why many top players find it hard to make it as successful managers.
 

How does political activism fit into Maradona's persona?

The everyday man liked Maradona for the outspokenness with which he spoke against the American establishment. He was the champion of the underdogs and the reason people in India, Africa and South America liked him.

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What was the significance of Argentina's 1986 World Cup win for India of the '80s?

An entire generation of Indians watched the football world cup for the first time on colour television in 1986. The new India was emerging in the mid-80s era with the advent of colour television and computers, and Indians could then see for themselves Maradona's otherworldly skills, esepeicially during his legendary second goal against England in the quarterfinals.