Product Description

Diego Armando Maradona: hero or villain? One thing is certain: he was the greatest footballer of his generation - and perhaps of all time. A poor boy from a Buenos Aires shanty-town, his genius with a ball took him to the heights of European and world football, and his struggle with the pressures of life inside and outside the game pulled him right back down again. Never before has Maradona given us his extraordinary story in his own words. Until now.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50809 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
This is an operatically emotional book, and also an exceptionally vivid one', Martin Amis, Guardian .'A revealing autobiography of a footballing genius', Sunday Times Sports Book of the Week .'El Diego illustrates the man's simple, unadulterated love for the game, for the pure unsullied act of taking a football and making it dance to his exuberant tunes. It's a love story, without a happy ending, stopping when he walks off the pitch for the last time', Scotsman .'It is the autobiography of a footballer, not a celebrity who played football - Maradona's is a turbulent love story about his passion for the game', The Times .'Let's say it now, the real reason you want to read a book written by Diego Maradona is to see whether a genius who could skip past every assailant on the planet (except the ones with a wrap of coke) can actually hold a pen, let alone string a sentence together. Thankfully he can.', Arena .'If you want to know what makes the all-time greats of the beautiful game tick, this book has to join Pele's Bobby Moore's, George Best's and the rest on the shelf', Sportsladmag

From the Publisher
One of the world's greatest footballers finally tells his story in his own words

About the Author
Translator MARCELA MORA Y ARAUJO works as a journalist, writer and producer specializing in Argentinian football.

Customer Reviews

So dissapointing...
Yes, Maradona is one of the greatest footballers; yes, he led a very interesting life both on and off the pitch and yes, he was (and still is) increadibly influencing as a personality!! But all the things you would expect to find in this book are not there!! El Diego was a great footballer but as a writer sucks!! I began reading his autobiography right after I finished reading John McEnroe's one and the difference was HUGE.
Some of you may say "what did you expect? Ernest Hemingway stuff?" and the answer to that is no; but I was expecting Maradona to shed some light to his most darkest days as a drug addict for example, not in a gossipy way, to see what the man Maradona was like... As far as Maradona is concerned he is a God, he thinks he's the poor people's representative and he has the right to say whatever he wants, whenever he wants and to whoever he wants. Somebody may argue that that is a good ingredient for a good, maybe controversial, autobiography but it's not. It becomes increasingly irritating.
I got this book the very first day it was on the shelves and I won't be giving it back but I won't bereccommending it to people either cause it doesn't provide you with a "backstage" pass to the life of one of the most gifted footballers the world has ever seen... Now, that's I was expecting from an autobiography

Quality
What a great read by a true superstar. Maradona comes across as someone who despite having more talent in his right toe than most of todays international never really made the most of his god given talents.

He did win the World Cup and was probably the greatest footballer ever but he could have been so much better. He is honest and patriotic and never shies away from controversy.

Despite being English myself and a Maradona hater thanks to Mexico 86 after putting the book down I actually started to like the guy, great read for all footie fans.

Well written but not the full story
This is a very good read from a great player and Maradona doesn't shy away from saying what he thinks of other people. What he does shy away from however is any admittance that he might on any occasion have been in the wrong. In Maradona's mind, the entire world revolves around him and is, usually, out to get him. He see's himself as a lone crusader, crushing corruption and doing everything "for the people". What he comes across as, is a self obsessed and extremely arrogant and unpleasant character.

It's an entertaining read and I've no doubt that these negative points of the mans character are what have driven him to be possibly the best footballer the world has ever seen. I wouldn't want to spend a single second in his company though.