Diego Maradona lifting the World Cup.

Premier League confirms tributes to Diego Maradona

Friday 27 November 2020 13:51

The Premier League has confirmed Diego Maradona will be remembered before all 10 fixtures this weekend, including Manchester United’s match against Southampton on Sunday.

The Argentina legend and football icon sadly passed away on Wednesday at the age of 60, prompting an unprecedented number of tributes to a man who inspired so many around the world.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reserved special praise for Maradona during his press conference on Friday afternoon by describing the South American maverick as the best player he ever saw live. 

Fittingly, it has been communicated by the Premier League that all players and match officials will wear black armbands, with a minute’s applause also set to take place before every top-flight game.

‘My first football hero’

 Collection

The great and the good of Manchester United have been paying their respects to Diego Maradona on social media.

REMEMBERING A GENIUS

On Wednesday, reacting to the sad news of Maradona’s passing, United ambassador Bryan Robson said: “What a player he was - undoubtedly the best of his era and up there with the likes of Pele among the greatest ever. He won the 1986 World Cup for Argentina more or less on his own. 

“The football he played and the goals he scored in that tournament were unbelievable. He went past five players to score against England in the quarter-final and then did exactly the same against Belgium in the semi-final. 

“He was a real character too. I played with him in quite a few charity games and he was a great person to be around. Of course, we met in 1984 as well. It was a great evening for us and people still talk about it 36 years later.

“To come back from 2-0 down against Barcelona is a great result at any time, but to do it against a team containing Maradona and Bernd Schuster made it even more special. It’s a sad day for football but he leaves us with some fantastic memories.”
TRIBUTES FROM TWITTER

Read what a selection of current and former United players have posted…

Harry Maguire: “One of the best to ever do it. Rest in peace, Diego Maradona.”

Jesse Lingard: “A truly sad day for football. One of the greats has passed on. An inspiration for millions of people across generations around the world. A true icon!”

Edwin van de Sar: “A man who brought not only unbelievable skill but also true artistry to the pitch. The football will not be the same without you.”
Peter Schmeichel: “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Diego Maradona. A sad, sad day for the football world. The best player I ever saw and played against.”

Rio Ferdinand: “My first football hero. Few people have an impact over generations like this man did. The greatest, the best, the artist, the man. Charismatic, a leader, a winner! One of the main reasons why I went out on my estate to kick a ball, pretending to be Diego.”

Robin van Persie: “Feeling thankful I had the opportunity to meet you a few times. An unbelievable player and a real joy to watch. But also extremely warm and friendly person off the pitch. A true inspiration for myself and many others. Your legacy will live on forever.”

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