The Hand of God: The Life of Diego Maradona
Extract
"It was a part-time truck-driver with a good ear for neighbourhood
gossip who gave Diego Maradona his first real break. Jose Trotta
was driving one of his clients home when he was told that there
was a boy in Villa Fiorito who, when it came to kicking a football
around, seemed to have something rather special about him. Trotta's
client, a man named Carrizo, was a neighbour of Chitoro, and his
son Goyo played football with the young Maradona. Chitoro had started
up his own local football team called Estrella Roja (Red
Star) since arriving in Buenos Aires, but by the time he was introduced
to Trotta, he was open to any offers that might be made relating
to his son's future. His own salary was scarcely sufficient
to cover the costs of the upkeep of his growing family. Inn Trotta's
presence, Goya and his father talked wonders about 'Diegito',
and Chitoro offered no contradictions. Chitoro willingly acceded
to Trotta's request that the young Diego should be introduced
to Francisco Cornejo, the trainer of Cebollitas, the youth team
of the first-division club Argentinos Juniors. Goyo took
it upon himself to kick-start the promotion, for he himself had
already
been talent-spotted by Cornejo, and was keen that his friend Diego,
a year younger than himself, should join him in this first step
in a football career. Cornejo recalls the first day that Goyo Carrizo
tries to sell Maradona: ' I had been with Cebollitas for
several years and was happy with the players I had. I wasn't
particularly looking for new talent. Goyo came to me and said that
he knew of this kid in Fiorito who played better than he did. At
first I thought, so what? In the world I moved in, people came
to me every other day claiming there was a kid they knew very well
who was brilliant. But I thought, what have I got to lose? So I
told Goyo that he might as well bring him along. And he did. That
is where history began.' "
|
