Here, we look at some of the best quotes on Maradona both from the man himself and from others in football as reported by AFP.

Maradona in his own words 

– “To see the ball, to run after it, makes me the happiest man in the world.”

– “I made mistakes, and I paid for them. But the ball is still pure,” — Speaking to the crowd at his 2001 testimonial.

– “You can say a lot of things about me, but you can never say I don’t take risks.”  

– “I am black or white, I’ll never be grey in my life.” 

– “When I wear the national team shirt, its sole contact with my skin makes it stand on an end.”  

– “I hate everything that comes from the United States. I hate it with all my strength.”

– “Suck it, and keep sucking it!”  — To journalists who had doubted him as Argentina coach.

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On Pele

– “There would be no debate about who was the best footballer the world had ever seen, me or Pele. Everyone would say me.”

– “Pele should go back to the museum.”

On the Hand of God  

– “I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me and no one came… I told them, ‘Come hug me or the referee isn’t going to allow it’.”

– “If I could apologise and go back and change history I would do. But the goal is still a goal, Argentina became world champions and I was the best player in the world.”

On Lionel Messi  

– “Messi scores a goal and celebrates. Cristiano (Ronaldo) scores a goal and poses like he’s in a shampoo commercial.”

Maradona in the words of others

– “Even if I played for a million years, I’d never come close to Maradona. Not that I’d want to anyway. He’s the greatest there’s ever been.” — Lionel Messi.

— “Diego, for all Argentinians, is God. And he always will be.” — Carlos Tevez.

— “What (Zinedine) Zidane could do with a ball, Maradona could do with an orange.” — Michel Platini.

— “The best of the lot, no question… I saw Maradona do things that God himself would doubt were possible.” — Former Brazil star Zico.

— “The best I ever played against was Maradona.” — Former AC Milan and Italy defender Paolo Maldini.

— “Maradona. When he was on form, there was almost no way of stopping him.” — Former AC Milan and Italy defender Franco Baresi, when asked who was the best player he faced.

— “Maradona is a God to the people of Naples. Maradona changed history. In 80 years, we had always suffered, fighting against relegation, yet in seven seasons with him we won two leagues, a UEFA Cup, two Italian Cups. I’m a fan too and to live those years with Maradona was incredible.” — Naples native Fabio Cannavaro, who was in the youth ranks at Napoli when Maradona was there and later won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.

— “The crucial difference with Pele is that Maradona wasn’t surrounded by great players; he had to carry the team himself. If you took Maradona out of Argentina, they would not win the World Cup, but I think Brazil without Pele would still have won.” — Eric Cantona.

— “In Argentine football there is a before and after Maradona.” — Julio Grondona, former head of the Argentine football association.

— “Diego, what planet are you from?” — Argentine television commentator Victor Hugo Morales immediately after the Goal of the Century against England in 1986.

Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP)

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