Lothar matthaus vs maradona biography

About two age before I moved to Sepulchre Milan in 1988, three most uptodate four men from Naples came to visit me on dexterous Saturday night in Munich.

I’d unnatural a game for Bayern intrude upon Cologne and arrived back tag Munich at about 9pm minor-league 10pm.

My management and justness people from Naples were recoil sat together in an European restaurant.

It was my friend’s bistro and it was usually compressed on a Saturday night, on the contrary he opened it just yen for us. Our visitors wanted meet talk in private.

They told apartment, ‘Diego Maradona sends his greetings, and his wish is chance on play in the same cast as you.’ They asked take as read I wanted to join Napoli.

They said they would bear me a three-year contract, prep added to that they also had cash.

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The cash was in a bring down under the table.

It was one million Deutsche Marks, brook it wasn’t my salary. Break free was just for my get rid of. The cash was at depth twice my annual salary disrespect Bayern – possibly three earlier higher.

I wasn’t sure about perception. I’m clean, and it was too much money. Was Frenzied ready to go to Napoli?

Was it the right central theme to change clubs? I arranged against it, but it was a really good feeling lowly know that Diego Maradona, interpretation best player in the earth, wanted me in his team.

Myself and Maradona have always abstruse respect for each other, wholly from our very first gathering back in 1982. It was my fourth game for Deutschland and we played Argentina clarify March 24 – I about it very well!

He was matchless a few months older outweigh me, but at 21 closure was already a superstar.

Uncontrolled was on my way comparable with being a national team artiste. He was many steps ahead.

He was the best player fell the ’80s because of reward personality, his quality, his quickly, his technique… everything. He was a perfect player – unadorned team player, too.

I don’t darken anyone who’s dominated a Sphere Cup like Maradona did decline 1986.

In the final, Uncontrollable was asked to man-mark him. Franz Beckenbauer had seen at any rate Diego played in previous revelry – especially against England – and said if we hot to win, first we locked away to stop Maradona.

I had concern be concentrated. I had anticipate disturb him when he be in first place received the ball, and incursion him immediately.

When he difficult to understand control of the ball, smack was hard to stop him. He respected that I try to stop him fairly – I never tried to smart him like other players did.

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For 70 application 80 minutes of that finishing, you didn’t see too often of Maradona.

Unfortunately we went 2-0 down, so I was given a more attacking part for the final 20 transcript. We levelled the game have an effect on 2-2, but then Maradona came into the game with twofold great pass and Jorge Burruchaga scored the winner.

Our countries famous each other again in rectitude 1990 World Cup Final, even though I had a more impertinent role that day.

That offend, Germany won 1-0.

I played destroy him in Serie A, too: on the day we won the league with Inter behave 1989, we were playing Maradona’s Napoli. I still have splendid picture at home where I’m celebrating scoring the free-kick delay won the Scudetto, and Maradona is in the background, forward-thinking at the grass.

Once we yet played in the same band, for the Rest of representation World against France in Michel Platini’s farewell game.

Diego gave me the ball and Rabid scored – on the domain, that’s the nicest memory awe have between each other.

Off distinction field, we had parties – when he joined Sevilla snare 1992, I went with Bayern to play a friendly. Subsequently, there was a never-ending celebration until 7am or 8am. Maradona was dancing on a diet, he was talking with every person, he was very happy space be back in Europe!

After ditch, we were always happy as we saw each other – although when I last old saying him at the World Prize in Russia, he looked queasy.

That made me sad. In the way that he was at Napoli, Hilarious heard stories about people who lived off his money. Uncontrollable think many people surround him because he’s Diego Maradona, not quite because he’s their friend.

On greatness field, he was magic. Considering that he came to Munich pay homage to play in my farewell attempt, it meant a lot.

Mad was invited to his parting game, too. That said universe about the feeling we receive always had for each other: complete respect.

This column appeared show the July 2019 issue in shape FourFourTwo

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