FC Barcelona have this evening paid tribute to legendary footballer Diego Maradona, who sadly passed away in his native Argentina on Wednesday, at the age of 60.
After the 1982 World Cup, Maradona joined Barcelona for a then world-record fee of $7.6 million. Maradona moved to Spain after a successful stint at Argentine giants Boca Juniors. The Argentine No 10 played 75 matches for the Catalan club, scoring 47 goals along the way. In the 1982-83 season, the club won the Copa del Rey, Copa de la Liga and in 1983, the Spanish Super Cup.
In the 1983-84 campaign at Barça, Maradona fractured his ankle after a nasty challenge from Athletic Club player Andoni Goikoetxea. The Argentine reappeared before the end of the league season, but Barça were out of the title race by then. The club also lost the Copa del Rey final to Athletic in a match that went down in history, due to a mass brawl between both sets of players after the final whistle.
At Barcelona, Maradona contracted hepatitis, which saw him ruled out of action and spend several months on the sidelines. His relationship with the club’s board led to him forcing his way out and join Napoli in Serie A. He subsequently went on to win two league titles, an Italian Cup and a UEFA Cup.
