10 Things You Didn't Know About Diego Maradona

He did WHAT on the pitch?!?!

Former Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona gestures during the press conference held after the premiere of his TV show called
DANIEL LUNA/AP
There is no doubting Diego Maradona's status as one of the greatest players ever to play the game, but his career was surrounded by controversy, and he has grown to be one of the most notorious figures ever to have played the game, as well as one of the most celebrated. The Argentinian marvel started his career in his homeland, where his growing successes earned a move to Barcelona, though his move was no where near as successful as that of his compatriot and spiritual successor Lionel Messi. The same cannot be said of his time at Napoli, where he enjoyed adoration, or his success on the international stage where he scored 34 goals in 91 appearances and won the 1986 World Cup almost single-handedly. But it's away from the pitch that the Ballon d'Or winner has turned the most heads, which is stunning considering his talent: he was frequently controversial, struggled with a well publicised drug problem and almost killed himself young through bad lifestyle choices. And while he is one of the most famous footballers ever to grace the biggest stage there are still things about his storied career that even the most ardent of fans will not know...

10. He Snorted Cocaine On The Pitch

Former Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona gestures during the press conference held after the premiere of his TV show called
Luca Bruno/AP

Allegedly.

This incident happened immediately after Diego converted the winning penalty in a global All-Star game in Pasadena a month after the 1986 World Cup had finished.

While celebrating, a man ran up to Maradona and the forward sniffed something off his hand. This is believed to be cocaine.

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Video & written Content Producer for WhatCulture Wrestling. NCTJ trained journalist. BA Hons, Sports Journalism.