El Diego

El Diego slipped the surly bonds of earth today. In truth he never belonged in the first place, his gifts more suited to a stage where the gods play the beautiful game. But their loss was our gain and what a bounty he bestowed. They say he was devastated not to make inclusion in the Argentine winning team of 1978. The manager Cesar Menotti (who went through cigars faster than Pete Lennon) said he was too young. He also knew he had quality in the form of the great Mario Kempes, Luque and Ardiles. Though unbeaten the argies found themselves having to beat Peru by 6 goals to advance or else Brazil would do so.

That this proved no object didn’t cause FIFA any soul searching either but Brazil were pissed off. For all that 78 is me favourite World Cup and the atmosphere generated by the fanatical fans has never been bettered. Menotti’s judgement would be vindicated four years later when with too much expectation on him  Diego imploded and with him Argentina. Getting back to 78 it must be said that once again FIFA disgraced itself in the award of the competition to a country busy terrorising its own people. What the mothers of ‘the disappeared ‘ must have made of that decision is not recorded but not hard to guess.

You could even make the case that the military junta were emboldened by the blind eye shown by the international community and the Catholic Church into thinking they should try the same in the Falklands. Indeed when they did so the dopey US president told Thatcher that he was ok with it and so should she be. A year before a British general election! Anyway when the Brits moved to censure the Argies at the U.N Ireland famously abstained in the vote. Nice one Charlie. Thatcher went on to roar to victory in 83 on the back of reclaiming the Falklands and at least one war atrocity when she sank the Belgrano.

Initially the war proved very popular in England and was famously described in footballing terms by the ‘Sun’ . With two argentine ships sunk and the death toll around two thousand the ‘score’ was described as Britain 2 – Argentina 0. This happy jingoism came to a sudden halt when an Exocet missile tore through hms Sheffield. With all this background it’s fair to say that when the teams took to the pitch for the w.c quarter final in 86 there was a lot more at stake than a football match.

There was also bad blood from the W.c of1966 when the argentine captain Antonio Rattin was sent off in the q.f against England in dubious circumstances which nearly caused a riot. Mara Dona would also lead his country at Italia 90 a w.c best forgotten in soccer terms. In 94 after he failed a drugs test Bill o Herlihy asked Giles if this undermined his whole career. Giles roared laughing and replied if drugs could make you play like Maradona the whole world would be taking them. Anyway, back in the day the benighted people of Argentina were invited not to cry for Eva Peron.

  Now is the time for their tears.