Nidia is her name. A Brazilian who had come to London to study English, loved soccer and works as a cleaning staff to pay for her courses. It was the only link between Eric Clapton, the great British guitarist, and our house in London, on the River Thames. She also worked with him.
Thus was born the idea of rescuing
Diego Maradona
, who had come to Cuba to heal from his addictions and who felt worse every day in his telephone conversations.
Nothing was easy in Cuba. They changed phones all the time. His friends took turns visiting him. Bad company also came. It was even worse than in Buenos Aires. The excesses were the same or worse. His manager Guillermo Coppola spoke in code: they knew they were being listened to and watched. Fidel Castro had no interest in the health of the soccer idol deteriorating in Cuba.
Along with Ian, another British friend and sports journalist who was working at the Sunday The Observer and sought to protect him, he began a long process to put Diego in contact with Eric Clapton and be able to take him to Crossroads, his clinic in Antigua, in the middle of the Caribbean, to recover him.
“It was a compromise between two journalists: it would be a professional secret. We would never write it while Diego lived. We would never acknowledge that we tried ”
A compromise between two journalists: it would be a professional secret. We would never write it while Diego lived. We would never recognize that we tried. We would not talk to the press or our editors or anyone. Until today, Diego left and that attempt unites us to him forever.
Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona smokes a cigar with former Reuters Cuba correspondent Andrew Cawthorne (standing near R) in this undated photograph taken between 2000-2001 in Havana, Cuba. REUTERS/Euridice Bandres
(STRINGER / Reuters)
CrossRoad was going to be a salvation for Diego. A center founded by Eric Clapton, the best guitarist in the world, to cure his addiction to heroin and hard drugs. An oasis of peace, serenity, love to calm the demons of the soul. A commitment to abstinence from alcohol, drugs, mutilation. A lifestyle change to resist abstinence and personal growth in recovery.
In the beauty of the island and former British colony of Antigua, in the heart of the blue-water Caribbean and not far from Cuba, Eric had created and maintained the Crossroad Center since 1988. A treatment of the highest quality but accessible to all, by which Diego Maradona was not going to pay a penny.
“With great patience, after many attempts at coordination, Clapton called from Japan. Diego attended him. Someone translated “
From alcohol to opiates, marijuana, cocaine, there was a twelve-step treatment in that paradise with a swimming pool, facing the sea, in cabins, a gym, hotel luxuries, tropical cordiality and a treatment according to needs. each.
Eric left on his tour to Japan. Maradona was still in Cuba and every day he changed his mind and his mobile phone. Until finally the two greats managed to meet on the phone, in the middle of the night for Eric. With enormous patience, after many attempts at coordination, Clapton called from Japan. Diego attended him. Someone was translating.
The guitarist told him of his admiration, his demons, the need to treat himself, his experience. The footballer promised to go. Clapton offered to send for him. Coppola was excited, he began to see the light on the road.
“Maradona never made it to Crossroads. He stayed in Cuba. Eric and Diego never crossed paths again. “
Diego Maradona never made it to Crossroads. He stayed in Cuba. Eric and Diego never crossed paths again.
He tried to be a contribution to recover a genius, whom I had met in his first home in Chacarita, after leaving Villa Fiorito. With Tota, her mother, with a new pearl necklace and hairdresser hairstyle, watching what “Pelusa” said, in one of her first reports with the magazine People.
