[Sport] The story behind Maradona's last goal, with Boca's shirt and an old acquaintance

[FNX Magokiler]

On September 14, 1997, the maximum idol did not spare Goycochea from the penalty spot and shouted the last conquest of his history as a player. His post-match statements and his great gesture with the referee.

Diego Armando Maradona contemplated for a moment the tiring path of the ball towards the left corner of Newell's goal and, before it hit the net, he shot out to the boxes to dedicate the 1-0 to Claudia and her daughters Dalma and Gianinna of Boca. Without knowing it, that sunny Sunday of September 14, 1997, a packed Bombonera celebrated the last goal of his career as a professional.

The fans had begun to vibrate a minute earlier, when Martín Palermo, dressed as a left-handed side, sent a cross into the area and defender Daniel Fagiani, in his eagerness to intercept the pass destined for the sole of Fiorito's, deployed his right arm and he made a mistake. While the stands roared, the referee Rubén Pascualino took refuge in the indication of the line judge Páez, the same one to whom the historical idol had thrown water in a classic with Independiente when he was DT of Racing, and sanctioned the maximum penalty.

 

 

Maradona quickly grabbed the ball, tucked it under his arm and walked to the penalty spot. Between the posts, with the leper diver, Sergio Goycochea was waiting for him, his friend and side with the Argentina shirt at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. When we were training in the National Team it was impossible to take a penalty against him, ”said No. 10 blue and gold hours later at a press conference.

"But a lot of things are at stake in a game like this," he continued. Today the one who held out the most won and I held out longer than him ”. He took four running steps, opened the boot and placed it flush against Goyco's right post, who chose the opposite side: "I thought he was going to cross it, that he was going to put a blunder down there, but unfortunately he deceived me well" .

With the partial victory, Maradona was replaced by Diego Latorre after the quarter hour of the complement. He left the court with his pants pulled up, limping with his left leg and making gestures of pain. Before crossing the lime line and sitting on the bench, he took off the tape and handed it to Alfredo Berti, who then passed it on to Claudio Caniggia. He also shook hands with referee Pascualino, with whom he would have a huge gesture at the end of the match.

“The truth is that I was not going to direct that game because the day before, Saturday September 13, my grandmother had passed away. I don't know how Diego found out and he came to the locker room to give me his signed shirt. That really was Maradona, "said the experienced whistle in an interview last year with Unanimo Deportes.

Now without the idol on the field, Boca suffered the goal of the Uruguayan Josemir Lujambio five minutes later and, in that same play, the injury of Roberto Abbondanzieri, who had to be replaced by Cristian Muñoz, the team's third goalkeeper. Beyond the hard blow that the tie meant, Xeneize managed to set the story straight thanks to the conquest of Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who was making his debut that afternoon in La Ribera.

At 37, Maradona ended up celebrating from the outside the victory 2-1 against Newell's, the victim of the last goal cry in his history as a professional player. Seven dates later, he decided to hang up his boots after winning the Superclásico against River at the Estadio Monumental.