Despite his high profile issues, Maradona had plenty of suitors following his 1992 return from a 15 month drugs ban. The ban had that had signalled an end to his time in Naples.
Ultimately his chosen destination would come as yet another surprise in the more-than unconventional career path of Diego Armando Maradona.
It would be to Sevilla, based in Spain’s southernmost, football mad, region of Andalusia.
The excitement around his imminent arrival was at fever pitch as Sevilla's club membership jumped from 26,000 up to 40,000 as people flocked for a chance to see their new hero. It was, just as it had been in Naples eight years prior, scarcely believable for the fans that Maradona had chosen to represent their side.
An assist and a goal in his first two matches got the ball rolling as it quickly became apparent that, while clearly overweight, Maradona had lost none of his exceptional talent on the ball.
As ever with Diego, things soon began to unravel off the pitch. Clashes with the Sevilla board over international appearances and his partying ways got so severe that the club actually hired a private investigator to monitor his movements.
Maradona would ultimately play 29 times for Sevilla, scoring seven goals. The deal he had signed with the club had the option to extend for another year but in truth the two parties were a poor match and neither was particularly keen on continuing the experiment.
Maradona’s stint in Seville, however, was by no means a disaster. The club earned over two million euro’s more than they had the previous season, a more than substantial figure in the early 90’s. While Maradona got one last platform on which to display his remarkable ability before returning to Argentina.
There were also moments of magic among the chaos. His virtuoso display against Real Madrid in a 2-0 win home win, a startling performance capped off by a second minute yellow card, is a particular highlight.
Diego’s year in Andalusia was undoubtably a chaotic one. A year filled with the sublime and the absurd. A year of spectacular displays and equally spectacular bust ups. Another year of private investigators and night clubs, of goals and drugs. It was all very Diego.
Words by Andy Gallagher
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