15 November 2009 - In His Defense, He Never Actually Said What "It" Was

On 15 November 2009, FIFA issued a two-month ban to Diego Maradona and fined him £15,000 as the result of a press conference he gave the previous month.

After taking over as manager of the Argentinian national team in 2008, the former star midfielder guided them through a difficult qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup that included a 6-1 defeat to Bolivia as well as losses to Ecuador, Brazil, and Paraguay. With two matches remaining, Argentina were in fifth place and in danger of missing the World Cup.

But they won those last two matches, over Peru and Uruguay, to claim the last guaranteed CONCACAF spot. After the second one, Maradona held a live televised press conference in which he railed against the Argentinian press for the criticism they had delivered during the campaign. The most memorable part of his rant was when he said the journalists "can suck it and keep on sucking it," which prompted FIFA's action.

The ban expired on 15 January 2010. Maradona led Argentina to the World Cup quarterfinals, then fell out with the Argentina Football Federation, who decided later that summer not to renew his contract.

27 February 1977 - Maradona Goes International

On 27 February 1977, Argentina beat Hungary 5-1 in a friendly that marked the international debut of 16-year old Diego Maradona.

At the time, Hungary had been the more successful team, with two World Cup finals (1938 and 1954), three Olympic gold medals (1952, 1964, 1968) and one silver medal (1972). But they were in decline, failing to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, the 1976 Olympics, or the 1976 European Championship. Argentina, meanwhile, had reached the Olympic final in 1928 and the World Cup final in 1930, but had since done little on the global stage (they did have 12 Copa América trophies, however).

For the friendly, they met at the Bombanera in Buenos Aires, where approximately 60,000 people turned out to watch. By half time, the hosts were up 4-0 with a hat-trick from Daniel Bertoni (11', 18') and a goal from Leopoldo Luque (37'). Luque added another just after the break (47') to extend the lead to 5-0 before Hungary substitute Zombori Sándor pulled one back in the 61st minute.

One minute later, Argentina made a couple of substitutions of their own, taking Ricardo Villa off for Jorge Benítez and replacing Luque with young Argentinos Juniors midfielder Diego Maradona. It was Maradona's first appearance for Argentina and he would go on to become the country's greatest player, earning a total of 91 caps and leading them them to World Cup glory in 1986.

26 April 1991 - The Hand Of God Gets Caught In The Cookie Jar

On 26 April 1991, police in Buenos Aires arrested Diego Maradona for possession of cocaine. It was one more twist in the spiraling descent of the Argentina star, who had just started serving a 15-month ban from Italian football.

Although he was already suffering from a cocaine addiction when he joined Napoli in 1984, he reached his greatest potential while at the club, winning two Serie A titles (1987, 1990) and the UEFA Cup (1989). Meanwhile, he shined on the international stage for Argentina, guiding them to the 1986 World Cup trophy while winning the Golden Ball at the tournament's best player.

But in March 1991, the Italian Football Federation suspended Maradona for 15 months after he tested positive for cocaine. He returned to Buenos Aires, but could not escape his troubles. On the morning on 26 April, police roused him from bed at his apartment and arrested him for possession of cocaine.

Maradona's ongoing problems proved too much for Napoli, who transferred him to Sevilla in 1992 at the completion of his suspension. His troubles continued, however, including a dismissal from the 1994 World Cup after a positive test for ephedrine and another arrest for cocaine possession in 1997. The latter effectively ended his playing career.

He returned to the sport in 2008 to manage Argentina's 2010 World Cup campaign, but his contract expired after the tournament. He followed that with a brief spell in charge of UAE club Al Wasl from 2011 to 2012 and he is currently out of football.

19 November 2008 - Argentina Tries To Recapture The Magic

On 19 November 2008, Argentina embarked upon the new Diego Maradona era with a 1-0 victory over Scotland.

As a player, Maradona had led Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup, then to the 1990 Final. His playing career ended in 1994, but he remained a near-permanent fixture in the press due to his public battles with drug use and weight gain. He had been out of professional football for over 13 years when Argentina came calling again and had no managerial experience other than a year apiece at a couple of clubs in Argentina--Mandiyú in 1994 and Racing Club in 1995.

His first match in charge of the national team was the win against Scotland, thanks to an 8th-minute goal from Maxi Rodriguez. But poor results followed, including a record 6-1 loss to Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier on 1 April 2009. Argentina eventually did qualify, prompting Maradona to instruct to his critics to "suck it." But after cruising through their first-round group, they lost 4-0 to Germany in the Round of 16.

Maradona's term ended in July 2010 after the Argentinian Football Association chose not to renew his contract.

2 July 1982 - Not One Of Maradona's Finer Moments

On 2 July 1982, South American titans Brazil and Argentina clashed in the World Cup, with the Brazilians emerging as 3-1 winners in the second round match-up to send the defending champions home.

Meeting in the second round group stage, it was a must-win game for the title-holders, who had already lost their first second-round match to Italy, 2-1. But Brazil quickly took charge of the match, as playmaker Zico scored an 11th-minute goal off a free-kick. Argentina keeper Ubaldo Fillol saved the kick, but the deflected ball hit the bar and fell in the path of Zico, who tapped it home. Striker Serginho (pictured) doubled the lead with a header in the 66th minute, then Júnior added a third goal in the 75th minute.

The tournament ended ten minutes later for Argentina's Diego Maradona, playing in his first World Cup. After a high challenge by Brazilian substitute Batista against Argentina defender Juan Barbas, Maradona kicked Batista in the midsection and was ejected. Despite being down to ten men, however, Argentina striker Ramón Díaz scored an 89th minute consolation goal to end the match at 3-1.

The match eliminated Argentina, but Brazil followed soon after, losing to eventual champions Italy 3-2 in their final match of the second round. Argentina got their revenge in 1990, as they eliminated Brazil in the Round of 16.

29 June 1986 - Germans Are The Bridesmaids Again

On 29 June 1986, Argentina won their second World Cup, beating West Germany 3-2 with a dramatic 83rd-minute goal from midfielder Jorge Burruchaga (pictured). It was the second consecutive loss in the Final for the West Germans, who would go on to win the tournament in 1990.

Both teams advanced to the Final in exciting fashion, with West Germany winning a penalty kick shootout to get past hosts Mexico in the quarterfinals. One day later, Argentina defeated England with two goals from Diego Maradona, including the infamous "Hand of God."

Playing before a crowd of 114,600 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Argentina took a surprising 2-0 lead with goals from sweeper José Luis Brown (23') and forward Jorge Valdano (55'). Germany stormed back, however, thanks to two corner kicks that resulted in goals from forwards Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (74') and Rudi Völler (80'). But as the match neared extra time, Burruchaga sprinted down the right side of the pitch and beat center back Hans-Peter Briegel to slot the ball past keeper Harald Schumacher for the win.

It was the second World Cup trophy for the Argentines, who had won their first in 1978.

30 October 1960 - The Albicelestes' Greatest Star Is Born

On 30 October 1960, Argentinian superstar Diego Maradona was born in the city of Lanús.

Raised in poverty on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Maradona joined Argentinos Juniors as a 10-year old youth player. He signed his first professional contract with them in 1976 and made 167 appearances before transferring to Boca Juniors in 1981.

After an impressive performance for Argentina in the 1982 World Cup, he moved to Barcelona for a then-record fee of £5 million. Although successful during his time in Spain, winning a 1983 treble of the Copa del Rey, Copa de la Liga, and Spanish Super Cup, his relationship with the club was tempestuous and he moved to Napoli in 1984 for a new record fee of £6.9 million.

He became a true international superstar in 1986, when he captained Argentina to the World Cup title, playing every minute of every match for the Albicelestes, scoring 5 goals and making 5 assists. Two of those goals came in the legendary 2-1 win over England--the "Hand of God" and the "Goal of the Century," which cemented his status as one of football's greatest players. He followed his World Cup success by winning silverware with Napoli, including two Serie A titles (1987, 1990) and the UEFA Cup (1989). He left Napoli in 1991 and spent time with Sevilla (1992-93), Newell's Old Boys (1993), and a second stint at Boca Juniors (1995-97) before retiring.

Despite a controversial personal life, including a constant struggle with a cocaine addiction, Maradona was voted FIFA's Co-Player of the Century in 2000, along with Pelé.

20 October 1976 - The Club Took Their Name Quite Literally

On 20 October 1976, 15-year old Diego Maradona became the youngest player in Argentina's Primera División history when he made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors in a home match against Talleres de Córdoba.

With Argentinos trailing 1-0, he entered the match as a substitute in the 46th minute, wearing the number 16 shirt. Maradona was still 10 days away from his 16th birthday at the time. 

Argentinos lost the match, 1-0, but Maradona would go on to make an additional 166 appearances for Argentinos from 1976-80, scoring 115 goals. In 1981, he transferred to Boca Juniors for £1 million. Coincidentially, Maradona's debut for Boca was also against Talleres, but that time his side emerged 4-1 winners. 

Maradona's record as the youngest player to appear in the Primera División lasted until 7 July 2003, when Sergio Agüero debuted for Independiente at the age of 15 years, 35 days.

22 June 1986 - The Hand Of God And The Goal Of The Century

On 22 June 1986, Argentina defeated England 2-1 in a World Cup quarterfinal match before a crowd of 114,580 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.

The Falklands War between the two countries had ended just over four years prior, which added to an already intense rivalry between the national sides and raised the emotional stakes of the match. The Argentinians, managed by Carlos Bilardo, had the better of the first half, with most of the opportunities created by midfielder Diego Maradona. England keeper Peter Shilton held firm, however, and the teams reached halftime with a scoreless draw.

Six minutes after the break, English left midfielder Steve Hodge bobbled a clearance attempt, sending the ball into his own penalty area. Both Shilton and Maradona raced to meet it, with Shilton having an apparent advantage due to his 6' 1" (1.85 m) height, as compared to the 5' 5" (1.65 m) Maradona. Maradona got to the ball first, however, and punched it into the goal with his left hand. The referee, believing that Maradona had headed the ball into the net, allowed the goal to stand. After the match, Maradona told reporters that the goal was scored "un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios" (a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God). The goal thus became famous as the "Hand of God" goal.

Just four minutes later, Maradona scored an even more famous goal. He received the ball just inside his own half and proceeded to dribble through the English side, getting the shot off right before being tackled. The display of individual skill earned the title of "Goal of the Century" in a FIFA poll prior to the 2002 World Cup.

England striker Gary Lineker scored in the 80th minute, but Barry Robson's side was unable to produce an equalizer and Argentina won, 2-1. 

The Argentinians went on to win the tournament with a 3-2 victory of West Germany in the Final.

3 April 1905 - Living La Vida Boca

On 3 April 1905, Club Atletico Boca Juniors was founded in the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires by five Italian immigrants - Esteban Baglietto, Juan Farenga, Teodoro Farenga, Santiago Sana, and Alfredo Scarpati. The first match was played on 21 April 1905. The photo above is the first-known photograph of Boca Juniors, taken in 1906.

Boca Juniors play in blue and yellow, which the club reportedly patterned after the colors of the Swedish flag. Prior to that, Boca played in shirts with black and white vertical stripes, which were also used by another local club. In 1906, the two clubs played a match, with the winner keeping the stripes. Boca lost, and decided to use the colors of the first ship to sail into port at Buenos Aires, which was a Swedish freighter. Thus Boca adopted their now-famous blue and yellow kits.

Boca won their first title - the Argentinian amateur championship - in 1919, starting a series of successes that now includes 32 domestic and 18 international trophies, making them one of the most decorated clubs in history. Their achievements include four Intercontinental Cup/FIFA Club World Cup titles (in 1977, 2000, 2003, and 2007).

A number of international stars have played for Boca, including Juan Roman Riquelme (1995-2002 and again from 2007-present), Carlos Tevez (2001-04) and Argentine football legend Diego Maradona (1981-82, 1995-97).

23 December 2000 - Real Madrid Runs Away With The Vote

On 23 December 2000, FIFA recognized Real Madrid as the Club of the Century.

The award was part of a series of centennial honors organized by FIFA for the end of 2000, including both make and female Players of the Century. The latter two were selected by an international jury, readers of FIFA's website, and subscribers to the bi-monthly publication FIFA Magazine. Club of the Century, however, was chosen exclusively by the magazine subscribers.

When the results were revealed, Real Madrid were the overwhelming choice, receiving just over 42% of the vote while no other club crossed the 10% mark. The other vote recipients in the top five were Manchester United (9.69%), Bayern Munich (9.18%), and Barcelona (5.61%), while Santos and Ajax were tied at 5.10%.

The Player of the Century awards were split, with Pelé and Diego Maradona sharing one and Michelle Akers and Sun Wen sharing the other.

24 September 1983 - There's More Than One Way To Win A Title

On 24 September 1983, a brutal challenge by Andoni Goikoetxea sidelined Diego Maradona for three months with a broken ankle.

Maradona was in his second season with Barcelona after making a world-record £5 million transfer from Boca Juniors in the summer of 1982. Despite a bout with hepatitis that first season, he helped Barça win the Copa del Rey and finish fourth in the league, leading to high expectations for a season with Maradona in full health.

But that changed when they hosted defending league champions Athletic in September. With Barcelona leading 1-0 and Maradona advancing the ball, Athletic center back Andoni Goikoetxea lunged at the Argentinian from behind, catching his left leg, leaving Maradona crumpled on the pitch with broken ankle. The tackle, called by one commentator "one of the most brutal ever seen in Spanish club soccer," earned Goikoetxea the nickname "the Butcher of Bilbao" (helped by the fact that Goikoetxea had broken leg of Barcelona's Berndt Schuster two years earlier).

Barcelona went on to win the match 4-0, but Maradona missed three months in recovery. Despite his absence, the finished third in the league, one point out of first. Athletic repeated at champions and also won the Copa del Rey, beating Barcelona 1-0.

24 June 1990 - The Holy Water Scandal

On 24 June 1990, Argentina eliminated Brazil from the World Cup, allegedly through the use of a spiked water bottle.

Although Argentina were the defending champions, they had struggled through the group stage, finishing behind Cameroon and Romania, but advanced as the highest-ranked third-place finisher. Brazil, meanwhile, topped their group, winning all three matches.

They met in the first knockout round at Turin's Stadio Delle Alpi, where Brazilian defender Branco helped keep Diego Maradona in check. But during a pause in play, Branco drank from a water bottle handed to him by a member of the Argentinian staff. He later complained that he began feeling drowsy and was unable to keep up with Maradona, who completed a brilliant run with a pass to set up Claudio Caniggia (pictured) for the winning goal. Argentina eventually advanced all the way to the final, where they fell to West Germany 1-0.

Later, Maradona claimed that the water bottle Branco had been given was dosed with tranquilizers. Branco threatened to sue the Argentine Football Association, but they denied any knowledge of the event. Since dubbed the "holy water" scandal, it has added fuel to the already-intense rivalry between the two nations.

13 June 1998 - The Wheels Of Justice Move Slowly And Ineffectively

On 13 June 1998, Diego Maradona received a suspended jail sentence of two years and ten months for shooting four people with an air rifle.

The incident occurred over four years earlier in February 1994. As a group of reporters and photographers gathered outside the gates of Maradona's Buenos Aires estate, he appeared with two other men behind a car  and began firing an air rifle into the crowd. Four people were left injured and bleeding as a result.

At his subsequent trial, Maradona denied being the shooter, but his claims were unpersuasive in light of video that showed him crouching behind the car firing the gun. His initial sentence was later reduced to two years even, still suspended so that he did not serve any jail time.

8 June 1990 - The Indomitable Lions Live Up To The Name

On 8 June 1990, Cameroon stunned Argentina in their opening match of the World Cup, beating the defending champions 1-0.

The Indomitable Lions had never won a World Cup match before, drawing all three games at their only previous tournament in 1982. In fact, no sub-Saharan African team had ever won a game at the tournament.

Few people would have predicted that to change when Cameroon took the field against Argentina at the San Siro in 1990, but they managed to contain the Argentinian attack, led by captain Diego Maradona, and played to a scoreless draw through the break. Their chances took a hit in the second half, however, when they lost midfielder André Kana-Biyik to a straight red card in the 61st minute.

Then, in the 67th minute, after a Cameroon free kick deflected high in the air in front Argentina's goal, allowing forward François Omam-Biyik to reach it and head it forward. Keeper Nery Pumpido got a hand to it, but could not corral the ball, which rolled over the line to put Cameroon up 1-0. Argentina pressed for an equalizer, but could not find it, even after Cameroon defender Benjamin Massing was ejected in the 89th-minute, bringing the Lions down to nine men.

Cameroon went on to win the group and advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to England 3-2 after extra time. Argentina advanced too, though, and reached the final where they lost to West Germany, 1-0.

15 November 2009 - In His Defense, He Never Actually Said What "It" Was

On 15 November 2009, FIFA issued a two-month ban to Diego Maradona and fined him £15,000 as the result of a press conference he gave the previous month.

After taking over as manager of the Argentinian national team in 2008, the former star midfielder guided them through a difficult qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup that included a 6-1 defeat to Bolivia as well as losses to Ecuador, Brazil, and Paraguay. With two matches remaining, Argentina were in fifth place and in danger of missing the World Cup.

But they won those last two matches, over Peru and Uruguay, to claim the last guaranteed CONCACAF spot. After the second one, Maradona held a live televised press conference in which he railed against the Argentinian press for the criticism they had delivered during the campaign. The most memorable part of his rant was when he said the journalists "can suck it and keep on sucking it," which prompted FIFA's action.

The ban expired on 15 January 2010. Maradona led Argentina to the World Cup quarterfinals, then fell out with the Argentina Football Federation, who decided later that summer not to renew his contract.

27 February 1977 - Maradona Goes International

On 27 February 1977, Argentina beat Hungary 5-1 in a friendly that marked the international debut of 16-year old Diego Maradona.

At the time, Hungary had been the more successful team, with two World Cup finals (1938 and 1954), three Olympic gold medals (1952, 1964, 1968) and one silver medal (1972). But they were in decline, failing to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, the 1976 Olympics, or the 1976 European Championship. Argentina, meanwhile, had reached the Olympic final in 1928 and the World Cup final in 1930, but had since done little on the global stage (they did have 12 Copa América trophies, however).

For the friendly, they met at the Bombanera in Buenos Aires, where approximately 60,000 people turned out to watch. By half time, the hosts were up 4-0 with a hat-trick from Daniel Bertoni (11', 18') and a goal from Leopoldo Luque (37'). Luque added another just after the break (47') to extend the lead to 5-0 before Hungary substitute Zombori Sándor pulled one back in the 61st minute.

One minute later, Argentina made a couple of substitutions of their own, taking Ricardo Villa off for Jorge Benítez and replacing Luque with young Argentinos Juniors midfielder Diego Maradona. It was Maradona's first appearance for Argentina and he would go on to become the country's greatest player, earning a total of 91 caps and leading them them to World Cup glory in 1986.

26 April 1991 - The Hand Of God Gets Caught In The Cookie Jar

On 26 April 1991, police in Buenos Aires arrested Diego Maradona for possession of cocaine. It was one more twist in the spiraling descent of the Argentina star, who had just started serving a 15-month ban from Italian football.

Although he was already suffering from a cocaine addiction when he joined Napoli in 1984, he reached his greatest potential while at the club, winning two Serie A titles (1987, 1990) and the UEFA Cup (1989). Meanwhile, he shined on the international stage for Argentina, guiding them to the 1986 World Cup trophy while winning the Golden Ball at the tournament's best player.

But in March 1991, the Italian Football Federation suspended Maradona for 15 months after he tested positive for cocaine. He returned to Buenos Aires, but could not escape his troubles. On the morning on 26 April, police roused him from bed at his apartment and arrested him for possession of cocaine.

Maradona's ongoing problems proved too much for Napoli, who transferred him to Sevilla in 1992 at the completion of his suspension. His troubles continued, however, including a dismissal from the 1994 World Cup after a positive test for ephedrine and another arrest for cocaine possession in 1997. The latter effectively ended his playing career.

He returned to the sport in 2008 to manage Argentina's 2010 World Cup campaign, but his contract expired after the tournament and he is currently out of football.

19 November 2008 - Argentina Tries To Recapture The Magic

On 19 November 2008, Argentina embarked upon the new Diego Maradona era with a 1-0 victory over Scotland.

As a player, Maradona had led Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup, then to the 1990 Final. His playing career ended in 1994, but he remained a near-permanent fixture in the press due to his public battles with drug use and weight gain. He had been out of professional football for over 13 years when Argentina came calling again and had no managerial experience other than a year apiece at a couple of clubs in Argentina--Mandiyú in 1994 and Racing Club in 1995.

His first match in charge of the national team was the win against Scotland, thanks to an 8th-minute goal from Maxi Rodriguez. But poor results followed, including a record 6-1 loss to Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier on 1 April 2009. Argentina eventually did qualify, prompting Maradona to instruct to his critics to "suck it." But after cruising through their first-round group, they lost 4-0 to Germany in the Round of 16.

Amid conflicting reports about his future, the AFA announced on 27 July 2010 that they would not renew his contract.

2 July 1982 - Not One Of Maradona's Finer Moments

On 2 July 1982, South American titans Brazil and Argentina clashed in the World Cup, with the Brazilians emerging as 3-1 winners in the second round match-up to send the defending champions home.

Meeting in the second round group stage, it was a must-win game for the title-holders, who had already lost their first second-round match to Italy, 2-1. But Brazil quickly took charge of the match, as playmaker Zico scored an 11th-minute goal off a free-kick. Argentina keeper Ubaldo Fillol saved the kick, but the deflected ball hit the bar and fell in the path of Zico, who tapped it home. Striker Serginho (pictured) doubled the lead with a header in the 66th minute, then Júnior added a third goal in the 75th minute.

The tournament ended ten minutes later for Argentina's Diego Maradona, playing in his first World Cup. After a high challenge by Brazilian substitute Batista against Argentina defender Juan Barbas, Maradona kicked Batista in the midsection and was ejected. Despite being down to ten men, however, Argentina striker Ramón Díaz scored an 89th minute consolation goal to end the match at 3-1.

The match eliminated Argentina, but Brazil followed soon after, losing to eventual champions Italy 3-2 in their final match of the second round. Argentina got their revenge in 1990, as they eliminated Brazil in the Round of 16.