The Albiceleste superstar was recovering at his home in Tigre after undergoing brain surgery at the start of November
Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack.
The Gimnasia coach had been hospitalised at the start of November, days after celebrating the landmark birthday, after complaining of low spirits and fatigue.
– Cristiano Ronaldo has paid social media tribute.
Today I say goodbye to a friend and the world says goodbye to an eternal genius. One of the best ever. An unparalleled magician. He leaves too soon, but leaves a legacy without limits and a void that will never be filled. Rest in peace, ace. You will never be forgotten.
Hoje despeço-me de um amigo e o Mundo despede-se de um génio eterno. Um dos melhores de todos os tempos. Um mágico inigualável. Parte demasiado cedo, mas deixa um legado sem limites e um vazio que jamais será preenchido. Descansa em paz, craque. Nunca serás esquecido.🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/WTS21uxmdL
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 25, 2020
The former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has also paid tribute on Twitter: “Diego Armando Maradona was a football giant, from Argentina and all over the world, a talent and a unique personality. His genius and passion on the pitch, his intensity in life and his commitment to Latin American sovereignty marked our time. On the pitch, he was one of the greatest opponents, perhaps the greatest, that the Brazilian team has faced. Outside of sporting rivalry, he was a great friend of Brazil. I can only thank you for your solidarity with the people’s fight and with the Brazilian people. Maradona will never be forgotten.”
1 – Diego Armando Maradona foi um gigante do futebol, da Argentina e de todo o mundo, um talento e uma personalidade única. A sua genialidade e paixão no campo, a sua intensidade na vida e seu compromisso com a soberania latinoamericano marcaram nossa época. pic.twitter.com/DubeM2PgQ4
— Lula (@LulaOficial) November 25, 2020
– “Today is a bad day, a very sad day for all Argentines,” said Argentina president Alberto Fernández in a TV interview. “I doubt that we will ever see another player like Maradona. The best thing about Diego is that he was an absolutely genuine man, he was not a fake man, he was a genuine man who expressed everything with the force with which he played football, he defended what he wanted, mistreated what
he hated. That was Maradona in his purest state.”
