Contrasting lifestyles of football legends Pele and Maradona

Robin Toskin, Johannesburg

‘For God so loved the world that he gave two beloved sons Diego Maradona, and Pele to football,’ or so some sports scripture should read.

One of them, Maradona, is in South Africa with the Albiceleste. Although God made them in his own image, the two sons are different from each other. The elder son, Pele, likes to pass himself as the gentle- walking in measured steps, sipping the choicest of wines while he dines with the high and mighty.

What is more, he chooses his words carefully and most notably telling each listener what he would like to hear. Like he predicted that one of African teams would win the World Cup.

Consumes everything

The younger, Maradona, consumes everything. He dines, wines and plays with anyone. He says anything and not necessarily what one wants to hear. Here in South Africa, he is hogging all the limelight. When Argentina played Nigeria on Saturday at Ellis Park, he was everything from a ball boy (sorry ball man), referee, overzealous fan and least of all, coach.

Maradona is unapologetic for anything he does because somehow he believes in being himself.

Only last week before they jetted to South Africa, the Argentine Football Association requested staff at the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre — the team’s base for the World Cup — to tear down the standard wash basins, toilet bowls and cisterns in the two bathrooms reserved for the football legend because they would not meet his "high standards".

The centre hastily replaced these last Thursday with fancy Eurosmart taps, basin mixers, dark wood vanity cabinets, and new toilet bowls, including a special bidet with two settings for Maradona’s bedroom.

Hugging players

Maradona was all over his technical area hugging each of his players after every substitution.

He launched into wild celebration the moment Gabriel Heinze put Argentina ahead after six minutes and the Olympic Marseille man ran all the way to hug El Diego.

When the fourth official raised the electronic board to indicate four minutes of stoppage time, Maradona waved away the official with a wide grin.

Germany great and former coach, too, Jurgen Klinsmann said last week the brains behind Argentina team is Carlos Bilardo, Maradona’s 1986 coach who is now his assistant. Such comment would not bother Maradona anyway.

His management style contrasts sharply with the rest of the coaches in the tournament. An example is that of France coach Raymond Domenec’s academic approach. Contact with players is minnimal, but not for Maradona. Whatever is said about Maradona is inconsequential because he is the son of god of football and fans and Press alike are mortals.