‘Still alive’
May 4, 2007
In an excellent essay in The Guardian, Marcela Mora y Araujo talks about the enduring enigma that is Diego Maradona. Titled Diego Maradona, living legend, she talks about how the highs of sport are never equalled by the life that follows. This probably explains the story of excess in Maradona’s life – the eating binges, the drinking problems and of course, his well-known addiction to drugs. Its a poignant sketch of the legend who is struggling to channelise his energy, now that his life as a footballer is over.
Araujo recalls amusing anecdotes, and thankfully stays away from the cliches that we usually encounter in relation to Maradona. Her correspondence with Maradona stretches back to 1995, she also translated his brilliant, raw autobiography El Diego into English.
With a sense of wonder and enchantment as if viewing a miracle, she says -
If we were to be able to study him cognitively, I think we would find evidence that he is a true genius. Perhaps, the greatest one alive in the world today.
Still alive.
