Legendary Inter and Argentine national team player and current Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti has paid tribute to one of the greatest footballers of all time, Diego Armando Maradona, who passed away earlier on today aged 60.
“Diego is unique for everything he did, for how he made us happy. I still don’t believe it, like all Argentines,” Zanetti told Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia prior to Inter’s crucial UEFA Champions League group stage match at home to Real Madrid.
“Diego is gone and this is sad for all those who love this sport. I was 13 when I had one of the best moments of my life seeing Argentina become World champions. It was a great joy. Diego passed on this love for this sport to us. He represented the essence of football for the whole world.”
Maradona began his playing career at Argentinos Juniors and went on to famously represent Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli.
Maradona also managed several clubs following his retirement and also had a two year stint in charge of the Argentine national team between 2008 and 2010. He was most recently in charge of Gimnasia de La Plata in his native Argentina.
The one time World Cup winner is a Napoli icon. He made 259 appearances across all competitions for the Partenopei, in which he scored 115 goals and tallied 29 assists. He won two Serie A titles with Napoli as well as one Coppa Italia, one Italian super cup and one UEFA Cup.