Hand of God: the Life of Maradona - Hardcover

This is a biography of Diego Maradona, one of the world's most controversial and flamboyant sportsmen, arguably the greatest and certainly the most widely-known footballer of the modern age. During his tempestuous career he has played for top clubs in South America and Europe, and has been a central figure in four World Cups. With the fortunes he has earned from sponsorship and transfer deals, he has personified football, both as popular sport and big business. Jimmy Burns pursued his research in several countries on both sides of the Atlantic, gaining access to Maradona's inner circle, and to other key witnesses, such as players, managers, trainers, doctors and officials. The result is a story straddling the international scene, from the slums of Buenos Aires, where Maradona was born, to the huge stadiums of the United States from where, in 1994, he was ignobly expelled after undergoing a positive drugs test. In his rise to fame - and notoriety - Maradona played for some of the world's greatest teams: Boca Juniors, Napoli and Barcelona. He scored some brilliant goals - and cheated with others. He provoked fans into a mass hysteria of adulation, and his enemies into sinister campaigns to destroy him. He made friends with the Mafia and became a cocaine addict. He betrayed as many friends as he made, and loved far too many women. Jimmy Burns is the author of "The Land That Lost Its Heroes", "Beyond the Silver River" and "Spain: A Literary Companion".