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Frankfurt / Main (dpa) - The tough guys from Argentina's national rugby team were in tears.
In honor of the deceased Diego Maradona, Sam Cane, captain of New Zealand's famous "All Blacks", put a black jersey with the number 10 in the opponent's half of the pitch before the traditional haka dance.
Whether in Newcastle / Australia, in Paris, Milan or Sandhausen: at the weekend, the sports world once again remembered one of its greatest footballers with minutes of silence, mourning bandages and touching gestures.
In many stadiums around the world, including the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga, Maradona was honored with a mourning ribbon and minutes of silence, his picture was on the scoreboard.
The 1986 world champion found his final resting place on Thursday in the Jardín de Bella Vista private cemetery in a suburb of Buenos Aires.
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Franz Beckenbauer, who as the German team boss faced Maradona's Argentinians in the World Cup finals in 1986 and 1990, spoke about him with respect but still critical.
«He was always nice, always friendly when we saw each other.
I liked him.
He was a genius who had obviously no longer had his life under control in recent years, ”said the 75-year-old in the“ Bild ”interview.
“You've been tugging at him all your life.
We can't even imagine that in Germany.
What they did to him was more than enthusiasm, that was hysteria.
In Argentina as well as in Naples, ”explained Beckenbauer.
In the Italian Serie A, the game Sassuolo Calcio - Inter Milan (0-3) was briefly interrupted on Saturday in the 10th minute - in memory of Maradona and his shirt number.
The Argentine folk hero died of a heart attack at his home in Tigre last Wednesday at the age of 60.
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For French champions Paris Saint-Germain (2-2 against Girondins Bordeaux), Brazilian superstar Neymar, like his teammates, wore a T-shirt in honor of Maradona when they warmed up.
"Adios el 10!"
and «Descansa en paz!»
(Rest in peace) was written on the white dress with his image.
Bernd Schuster, who played with him at FC Barcelona in the 1980s, feels particularly connected to Maradona.
In 1982, the gifted Argentine and the German playmaker shared a room in the very first training camp.
«The conversations with him were extremely interesting.
How we saw and thought football, how we want to play and how we want to enjoy football, ”said Schuster in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Even then, Maradona was not yet world champion, the young professional and ball magician was admired by his teammates.
"You could tell immediately that he knew exactly who he was and why Barça had brought him," said Schuster (60).
«Even as a boy he was the Argentine god.
But he didn't let that hang out.
He was really happy to be with us. "
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Schuster and Maradona haven't seen each other in recent years - to the chagrin of the German, who would have liked to have said a few more things: “That I would always be there for him, no matter what, defend him against everything that came.
And that he won my heart during the two years at Barça. "
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201129-99-505191 / 3
Interview picture with Beckenbauer (payment barrier)
Profile Schuster on the DFB homepage
Interview of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" behind the payment barrier
Honoring the "All Blacks" for Maradona on Youtube