Maradona ‘94: pills, pistols and Pablo Escobar

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1:57Right, so going into this World Cup, USA 94, Diego Maradona is 34. He's well past his best and he's pretty beset by scandals, but he's still Argentina's talisman. You know, this is the guy who'd led them to glory in 1986. He'd also gotten to the final Italian 90 where they lost to West Germany. And in a lot of ways, that World Cup was the beginning of Maradona's downfall. That was the turning point, really. So going into that one, 1990, he was a god in Argentina and in Naples, where he'd led Napoli to two Serie A titles. But after Maradona's Argentina side had knocked Italy out of their home World Cup, the nation had turned on him.

2:42This newspaper poll, after they were knocked out, named Maradona the most hated man in history. Just edged out Hitler. it's italy so divided opinion um but with that maradona's immunity from the italian police evaporated overnight and they began to look into his what was quite well known but not really publicly exposed ponch on for drugs and escorts so the italian police they bust this mafia cocaine and prostitution ring. And Italian newspapers publish transcripts of phone calls where Maradona is asking for gear and women. He literally said gear. Probably El Girio, I think it was. On another one of these transcripts, the madam of this brothel puts her son on the phone to Diego.

3:36He's a big Maradona fan. And she's like, well, I've got you on the line, actually. Do you mind chatting to... Sing happy birthday to myself. Never meet your heroes on the phone from a brothel. At this point, you know, These stories are coming out in the press and a close friend of the head of Napoli's ultras testifies against Diego, claims that he was Maradona's cocaine courier from South America. Which is a rat. He ratted him out, basically. Yeah. Shortly after that, Maradona fails his infamous drugs test after a game for Napoli against Bari. He tests positive for cocaine. How had he never tested positive before?

4:11Well, he'd been using this fake penis, a fake plastic penis that he'd been using to rig drug tests for years. Filled it with clean urine, got away with it for ages. But the authorities had got wise to it or had decided to stop letting him do it, basically. I like the idea they knew all along. I mean, you can probably put two and two together. But this time he tests positive and is handed a 15-month ban from football. But the trouble with Diego Armando Maradona is just beginning. He flees Naples under cover of darkness, flies back home to Argentina and sets up in Buenos Aires. But it's not long before he's in trouble there as well.

4:53His police raid his apartment and find half a kilo of cocaine. It's just for personal consumption. Just personal consumption. About a week's supply. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, but it doesn't look great. And Maradona is given a 14-month suspended jail sentence in Argentina. Still, though, he has the fans on his side. So outside the police station, hundreds of fans gather chanting, we love you, Diego, despite everything. Lovely. Hopefully it has a better ring to it in Spanish. Doesn't quite work for me in English. So his career now is in tatters. He might have the love of the Argentine people, but his football career is dangling by a thread.

5:31And while he's banned, he starts hanging out with some pretty scary characters. Although he does manage to play some football as well. you know a bit of game time when he's invited to a tournament in colombia and it is at la catedral the notorious prison that pablo escobar has been allowed to build for himself i say prison it had a jacuzzi a helipad a waterfall and a football pitch and on this pitch he would hold these tournaments with a mix of top players and just like his drug lord cartel mates so it's yeah Kind of like Soccer Aid, you know, like celebs, footballers. So like Soccer Aid, except all the proceeds go to the Medellin cartel.

6:11Yeah. And if you miss a penalty, they will shoot you. And instead of Lee Mack, it's Lee Gack. Yeah. Like Soccer Aid. I think they should, to be honest, I think they should bring that, bring a bit of that energy to Soccer Aid. Yeah. A little bit. So Diego gets there to La Catedral. He has no idea where he's going. No one's told him. And he said, I was taken to a prison surrounded by thousands of guards. I said, what the fuck is going on? am I being arrested? the place was like a luxury hotel sounds like it we're looking at a pic of it now it's a bit more sort of Thunderbirds yeah it looks yeah that's luxury in the 80s I suppose 90s anyway he meets Escobar when he gets there but he still has no clue who he is he just thinks he's this like rich man although he's about to get to know him very well because the highlight of the day is this match involving footballers and cartel members and according to one report this is a quote the final score is unknown but accounts of the game claim that Maradona and Pablo Escobar faced off, each playing as a striker, and the notorious drug lord managed to score several goals.

7:09Did he? Bet he fucking did. Defense was a bit soft. Yeah. It was foul. They were giving him quite a lot of space. Yeah, I'm not sure I'd back myself if I was in goal. No. Have the balls to save a penalty from Escobar. Yeah, I feel like by the fifth goal, he's just grabbing a Kalashnikov and shooting the ball into the net to keep his foot with him. Maradona said, we played the game and everyone enjoyed themselves. Later that evening we had a party with the best girls I've ever seen in my life. This is in prison. This is a prison where I came. Yeah. So I guess sounds like Wandsworth prison. Yeah.

7:43There's a lot in common. Anyway, I guess all that counts as getting some game time. He's staying fit a bit ish. Yeah. Yeah. I presume he was doing quite a lot of the old powders after the game. Afterwards, he got given a wad of cash and Escobar asked him to sign for his team in Colombia. Maradona was like, I'd love to, but I am banned from football. That is quite a lucky escape, probably. Although, it could be in a match made in heaven. I'm not sure Maradona would have lasted as long. If your business runs on five different apps, 12 browser tabs, and one spreadsheet that everyone's afraid to touch, it's probably time for Odoo.

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8:59Learn more at odoo.com. That's O-D-O-O dot com. Legally, we can't say drinking Storm makes you smarter and more focused. But with zero sugar, 200 milligrams of caffeine, and immunity support, you're smarter and more focused for drinking Storm. Storm, good energy in, good energy out. Energy for life. Anyway, after serving his ban, Diego is signed by the Spanish side, Sevilla, who instantly make him captain. You know, you've got a guy who's just served a 15-month cocaine ban. This is who we want to, you know, be leading our team, set an example to the young players. Actually, it does make sense though, because Sevilla's manager at the time was Carlos Beardo, who'd managed Argentina to victory at the 86 World Cup.

9:44So he knew how to get the best out of Diego. However, Carlos was about to discover that Maradona had gone seriously off the rails since that win. So during his stint at Sevilla, Diego's weight and his form fluctuates wildly. So before one game against Real Madrid, he loses eight kilos in seven days by isolating himself in the Sierra Nevada mountains and living off nothing but raw meat and possibly cocaine. Yeah, it's the Atkins diet. I think that's basically what it is. Coke and raw meat. Coke and raw meat, yeah. On the pitch, he's occasionally brilliant, but he's also causing Sevilla a lot of trouble off it.

10:19So he's out all night in nightclubs, racing his Porsche around town, clashes with his manager and with the board who end up resorting to hiring a private detective to trail Maradona around town, make sure he's not getting in too much trouble. Anyway, the whole episode at Sevilla culminates with Maradona smashing up the dressing room after being subbed off in a game before having a physical fight with his manager. So that's curtains for him there. And he leaves after just eight months. When he leaves, the club president does an interview saying Maradona was not fit to play golf, let alone football.

10:56Anyway, after that, he's back off to Argentina, where there was more drama waiting for him. So fast forward to 1993, Maradona, he's piled the pounds back on and he's playing for Newell's Old Boys, a team in Rosario. He's 33 years old by this point 90 kilos 14 stone quite a lot for man he's quite short yeah so his bmi at this point is 33 which means he's clinically obese right he's got the same fat content it's like a pork scratch yeah somewhere between a pork scratching and a dairy lead dunker i think okay so he's delicious but quite delicious god he's god he tastes good yeah meanwhile argentina are floundering in qualification for the 94 World Cup.

11:39Remember, they were finalists in 1990. It's a real fall from grace. The lowest ebb is a 5-1 defeat to Colombia. And at the end of the game, the fans are chanting for Maradona to come back. They know he's out of retirement. He's in Argentina. And Argentina are struggling without him. They do scrape into the playoff places, which means they have a two-legged playoff against Australia. Winner takes all, a spot in the World Cup. And the manager, Alfio Basile, finally caves in to the fan pressure. and he brings Diego back. And obviously he makes him captain again. Yeah. He's straight in. Is he a good captain?

12:14Surely not. He's just so good. Yeah. And so beloved that I think he sort of have to. So there he is. And to be fair, he plays a starring role. So in the first leg in Australia, he sets up a goal and Argentina win the second leg, which means they're going to the World Cup. Diego has saved them and the fairy tale is on. As for the Australians, don't feel too bad for them because they had a wild time in Buenos Aires. So Diego Maradona really hit it off with them in both legs. He really liked the fans and the players. I feel like the Aussie vibe is quite... Yeah, it's quite Maradona. While chatting to the Australian players, he finds out how little they earn compared to him who's been playing at top European clubs.

12:56And so he decides to treat his new friends to a taste of Diego's life. The night after the game, these Australians have just lost and are not going to the World Cup. They're pretty dejected. They're in their hotel rooms in Buenos Aires when each player gets a phone call telling them to come down to the lobby. And there waiting for them is a fleet of taxis and a message saying, courtesy of Maradona, have a night you will never forget. So yeah, presumably it's off to La Catedral. I can imagine it's that kind of vibe. Certainly that kind of vibe. Yeah. It's the seedy side of Buenos Aires. Yeah. I actually was looking who's in the squad and Mark Bosnich was among the Australians.

13:37Yeah, he had a good time. They stayed for three more weeks. Didn't sleep much. Right, so Argentina are going to the World Cup. The Aussies are going to a brass house. But is Diego Maradona going? Sure, he helped them win that playoff. But just before the tournament build-up starts, his manager hands him an ultimatum. You have to lose weight or you're out of the squad. I want you below... Below Dairy Dunker level. Pepper Army. Pepper Army. If you're a Pepper Army or a Monster Munch, you can come to the World Cup. Not a pork scratching. And that weight loss ultimatum is where the real problems begin.

14:17So Maradona, to lose all this weight, he hires a champion bodybuilder and Buenos Aires gym owner called Daniel Serrini, who becomes his personal trainer. And in one month, he loses 15 kilos. 15 kilos in a month? Yes. 16 % of his body weight. So he went from 92 kilos to 77. So that's about 40 pounds for people who do that. It's a big weight loss. Priya Zenpig is fair play to the boy. Yeah, yeah. It's back in the day when you had to eat raw meat, do coke, put a big bag around yourself and get on the treadmill. It's honest. Yeah. And turns out it wasn't so honest. Only one man knew how Diego had lost the weight.

14:52And unfortunately it wasn't Maradona. It was Daniel Cerini who was plying him with this crazy cocktail of supplements. And he's just necking them without question. Yeah. something that he will live to regret. Actually, if you've ever been crammed full of barely legal dietary supplements, like some sort of foie gras goose, then, you know, you might have got hurt. It can have quite considerable side effects if you're stuffed with that much. Yeah, yeah. You might have suffered some sort of injury and it would not be your fault. It would be the fault of your bent. Crooked doctor. Yeah, gym owning.

15:26He's not even a real doctor. He's a bodybuilder. don't hire a bodybuilder to get you fit bodybuilders notorious steroid guzzlers good point and if you have if that's caused you an accident then you need injury lawyers for you the personal injury lawyers who fight for you they'll deal with him they will deal with him big time it won't be pretty in fact he could have used them at the end of this episode where yeah a lawyer could have been quite helpful yeah it's no win no fee as well so you may as well give it a go give it a crack yeah there you go now Now, if you thought there was a lot of pre-tournament drama, we're only just getting started because Diego might have lost the weight, but he's still living the playboy lifestyle.

16:07He keeps missing training at his new club, Newell's Old Boys. It's like Sevilla. He's just like cruising around town in his Porsche, caning it. Yeah. Just, you know, probably down the cathedral every Sunday night. Sure he is. And Newell's... Mark Bosnich is still there. Guys, I want him to come to training, but I can't leave Bosnich there on his own.

16:29The two of them are just living in an apartment in Rosario together. Bozzer was getting quite deep around 6am. I couldn't just go to bed.

16:38Well, Niels are not happy about his new lifestyle and roommate. And after just four months at the club, they rip up his contract. He's sacked. And this is a massive story in Argentina, of course. The World Cup hero doesn't even have a club. He's behaving so badly. And the next day, Diego opens his curtains to find the entirety of Argentina's press is swarmed on his front lawn, trying to cover the story. And, you know, there's many ways you can handle this, but naturally, Diego pulls out an air rifle, crouches behind his Mercedes and shoots at them. Why not? There's a great clip of it going down.

17:12...requests to leave him alone, Maradona cracked and opened fire with an air rifle. You can literally see his face.

17:24Hear the gun shots. It's so good. It looks like a school shooter. Oh, that was great. Good shot. Journalists paraded their wounds. They're milking it, aren't they? Four of them filed charges. Maradona seemed more likely to spend the summer in prison than playing the World Cup. As he shoots them, he shouts, if you don't get out of here, we're going to start shooting real bullets. You're all a bunch of dickheads. Next time you shout, I'm going to really lose it. He injures four of them. and all hell breaks loose. The police are called. They come and search his house. It goes, criminal charges are filed.

18:01The judge involved says, he's not going to the World Cup until this is settled. So suddenly it looks like he's not going. Although, you know, considering this is a man who got let off from having half a kilo of coke with a slap on the wrist, you know it's going to end well for him in court. And he gets off with a suspended jail sentence. Yeah, nice. So somehow, despite everything, he's free to go to the World Cup. He could just do whatever he wants. They're not dropping him for that, by the way. No. Yeah. But if you're hoping for a happy ending, stop watching now. All right. So Argentina, they fly off to the US for the World Cup.

18:33And to begin with, it starts going well. They hammer Greece 4-0 in the opening game. Thanks in part to this incredible goal from Diego. Who else?

18:48of it here. The goal, obviously, great goal, but most famous for Maradona's celebration. He sprints to the corner flag and with bulging eyes and a demented expression, wails into the TV camera like a rabid werewolf. It's basically foaming at the mouth. And after that, it does sort of twig something with the Argentina staff who decide after the game that they're going to pay a visit to Diego in his hotel room, where they discover the room looking, in their words, like a pharmacy. There's just unmarked medicine bottles everywhere. Maradona, he tells them he doesn't know what they are. That's his personal trainer, Daniel Serrini's department.

19:28And the Argentine staff are like, okay, all right, not going to ask too many questions. And the following game, Maradona stars again for Argentina. They're playing Nigeria. He gets an assist. They win 2-1. so it's all looking good but disaster is about to strike yeah after that Nigeria game Diego Maradona is called for a random drug test it's that famous picture he's sort of giggling as he walks off and he's holding hands with a nurse she's a real nurse who's going to do a test the nurse looks like she knows what the result is going to be of this test looking quite stern and lo and behold Maradona tests positive for a banned substance called ephedrine and he's immediately booted out of the World Cup.

20:12Disaster. He was playing so well. That's the tragedy. What might have been. Maradona later argued that his test result was due to his personal trainer giving him this energy drink called Rip Fuel, which in the US contains ephedrine, but not in Argentina. Oh, okay. I mean, it could have been one of a number of drugs. Any one of those other 18 unmarked medicine bottles. You are running a pharmacy out of your room. He also blames someone closer to the top. More on that at the end of the video. But that's it. He's out of the tournament, which destroys Argentina. They end up losing 3-2 to Romania in the last 16.

20:47Actually a real classic game. But that's it. They're out, which, you know, considering the momentum they had is a disappointing end. It's not all bad for Maradona, though. So rather than go home in disgrace, he bags a gig as a TV pundit and earns a million dollars. Wow, nice. For a month's work. That's pretty serious. There's that great picture of him surrounded by microphones. It kind of captures some of the tragedy of Maradona, doesn't it? He's alone in a room full of people. Yeah, he's just the attention on him must be pretty unbearable. So later, after the World Cup had finished, Maradona claimed that he had had an agreement with FIFA to allow him to use this drug, ephedrine, for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play.

21:31So they were like, yeah, you can take drugs. You can just take drugs. Because we want you there. it's a bit like a bit like this World Cup FIFA want they want Messi and Ronaldo there don't they it's a bit like that yeah you know it sounds quite bent do you think Sepp Blatter's involved in that I mean it wouldn't be the most most bent thing that FIFA have ever done so anyway Maradona claims that FIFA had agreed to this but then reneged on the deal and that was why he was booted out or tested positive I feel like maybe Mark Bosnich told him at 6am that was fine and he just thought that was it was just pretty fucked by then It seemed to remember someone saying it was fine.

22:07It'd be grand. Yeah. Anyway, after that, that's the end of the road for Diego Maradona and Argentina. He never plays for his country again. Although he does do a very eventful stint as manager, but we're going to have to save that for another video, I think. So if you want that video and more like it, then hit subscribe for more of the maddest stories in sport.

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