NEW DELHI, Nov 27: Diego Maradona looked �intimidating� while showcasing his artistry with the ball but had a heart of �pure gold�, says India football team head coach Igor Stimac. Paying tribute to Maradona who died of heart attack on Wednesday at the age of 60, Stimac said he was always in awe of the Argentine wizard against whom he had the opportunity to play twice in his career.
�Diego Maradona the �King of Football�, the legend. How can someone describe him with one word or just an adjective? ... I am still in awe of this maestro,� Stimac wrote for the All India Football Federation website. �His balance and acceleration were things that every defender was scared of. You could barely knock him down while he was running with the ball. His no-look passes were intimidating.�
Stimac, a Croat World Cupper central defender, played twice against Maradona � in a 1992-93 La Liga match and an international friendly in 1994 � and he was lucky not to have conceded a goal as both were goal-less draws.
But more than that he interacted with the legendary Argentine on many occasions, including during 2016 Davis Cup Final between Argentina and Croatia in Zagreb.
�El Diego had a heart of pure gold. He didn�t think twice before expressing himself. He never thought about how people would judge him. He lived on his own terms, left on his terms, rendering us shell-shocked,� said the 53-year-old Stimac.
Stimac said Maradona was �jumping like a kid� when Argentina beat Croatia to lift the Davis Cup trophy.
�Little did I know that it was going to be our last meeting. We were cheering for opposite teams but spent many hours discussing various topics from politics to football,� said Stimac, a member of the Croatian team which had won a bronze in the 1998 World Cup. � PTI
NEW DELHI, Nov 27: Diego Maradona looked �intimidating� while showcasing his artistry with the ball but had a heart of �pure gold�, says India football team head coach Igor Stimac. Paying tribute to Maradona who died of heart attack on Wednesday at the age of 60, Stimac said he was always in awe of the Argentine wizard against whom he had the opportunity to play twice in his career.
�Diego Maradona the �King of Football�, the legend. How can someone describe him with one word or just an adjective? ... I am still in awe of this maestro,� Stimac wrote for the All India Football Federation website. �His balance and acceleration were things that every defender was scared of. You could barely knock him down while he was running with the ball. His no-look passes were intimidating.�
Stimac, a Croat World Cupper central defender, played twice against Maradona � in a 1992-93 La Liga match and an international friendly in 1994 � and he was lucky not to have conceded a goal as both were goal-less draws.
But more than that he interacted with the legendary Argentine on many occasions, including during 2016 Davis Cup Final between Argentina and Croatia in Zagreb.
�El Diego had a heart of pure gold. He didn�t think twice before expressing himself. He never thought about how people would judge him. He lived on his own terms, left on his terms, rendering us shell-shocked,� said the 53-year-old Stimac.
Stimac said Maradona was �jumping like a kid� when Argentina beat Croatia to lift the Davis Cup trophy.
�Little did I know that it was going to be our last meeting. We were cheering for opposite teams but spent many hours discussing various topics from politics to football,� said Stimac, a member of the Croatian team which had won a bronze in the 1998 World Cup. � PTI
