Beckenbauer on Maradona: a genius who has lost control of his life in recent years
German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer said Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, who died last Wednesday at the age of 60, was "a genius, who has clearly lost control of his life in recent years."
"This is something that cannot be overlooked," said former German defender Beckenbauer in an interview with the German newspaper "Bild" published on Friday evening.
"He was nice, friendly the whole time, whenever I met him. I loved him."
He continued: "What happened to him was more than enthusiasm, it was hysteria. In Argentina as well as in Naples."
“In my final match in the World Cup against Argentina (in the 1986 and 1990 editions), Maradona was the most prominent problem for me,” Beckenbauer said about his confrontations with Maradona, when he was coach of the German national team. "
The Argentine national team crowned the title in 1986, while Germany won the World Cup in 1990.
In Beckenbauer's view, players of different times should not be compared.
Beckenbauer spoke of Brazilian football legend Pele, saying: "Pele won the World Cup three times. But I see that Maradona comes in second place directly behind him. He was more than one player, he was an artist."
Maradona died on Wednesday of a heart attack and was buried in Buenos Aires on Thursday.
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