'He took us all to heaven': football fans react to Diego Maradona's death

26-Nov-2020 17:16:29 | The Guardian

Fans across the world – from Buenos Aires to Bedford – have been in touch to explain what Maradona means to them

It is perhaps the strength of feeling for Diego Maradona that sets him apart from other great footballers. Having grown up in poverty and gone on to be revered as a world champion, his story has been an inspiration, while his mesmerising skills gave millions of fans unadulterated joy time and time again. Football fans around the world have been in touch to share their tributes, telling of the lasting impact he had on their lives.

Nowhere is that feeling stronger than in Maradona’s native Argentina. “Maradona was one of those people who, unintentionally, helped everyone to understand that, even being human and fallible, we can do amazing things. Things that seems impossible to reach or even dream,” says Diego Martínez, a 34-year-old designer. “He also made me realise that we’re not entirely good or bad; we are human. Even though Maradona didn’t seem from this planet sometimes, he was one of our kind, but one of his kind.”