With a ball made of rag, el then child Jorge Bergoglio gave his first touches to the ball at a time when young people had to resort to inventiveness to play soccer in the street, recalled this Saturday the now Pope Francis in an interview in which described Diego Maradona as a “poet”.
“I met Diego Armando Maradona on the occasion of a game for peace in 2014. I remember with pleasure everything Diego did for Scholas Occurrentes, the Foundation that takes care of the most needy around the world. On the field he was a poet, a a great champion who gave joy to millions of people, both in Argentina and Naples. He was also a very fragile man, “says the first Latin American pope to the Italian sports newspaper ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’.
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The Supreme Pontiff affirms that when he learned that Maradona had passed away, at 60 years of age, on November 25, prayed for him and sent a rosary to his family, along with some words of comfort.
“I have a personal memory linked to the 1986 World Cup, the one that Argentina won thanks to Maradona. I was in Frankfurt, it was a difficult moment for me, I was studying the language and collecting material for my thesis. I had not been able to see the World Cup final and It was only the next day that I found out about Argentina’s victory over Germany, when a Japanese girl wrote “Viva Argentina” on the board during a German lesson. I personally remember it as the victory of loneliness because I had no one with whom to share the joy of that sporting victory. Loneliness makes you feel lonely, while what embellishes joy is being able to share it, “he recalls.
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First memories
In the interview, Francisco, at 84, faithful follower of the San Lorenzo de Almagro club, makes a review of his first football memories in Buenos Aires.
“I remember very well and with pleasure when, as a child, my family went to the El Gasometer stadium (the first stadium in San Lorenzo). I remember, in particular, the 1946 championship, the one that my San Lorenzo won. I remember those days I spent seeing those footballers playing and the joy of the children when we returned home. The joy, the joy on people’s faces, the adrenaline in the blood, “he explains.
“Then I have another memory, that of the rag ball. Leather was expensive and we were poor. A rag ball was enough for us to have fun and almost work miracles playing in the little square near home. As a child I liked football, but not He was one of the best, on the contrary, he was what in Argentina they call “hard leg”. That’s why they always made me play goalkeeper, “he adds.
“Being a goalkeeper was a great school of life for me. In that position, you must be prepared to respond to the dangers that may arise, which come from everywhere,” he sums up, adding that he also played basketball.
In the interview, which took place in early December at the Vatican, the pope also warns of the dangers of doping in sport.
Danger of doping
“No champion is built in the laboratory. Sometimes it has happened, and we cannot be sure it will not happen again. Hopefully not, although time puts in their place, the talents that are original and those that are built. A champion is born and strengthened by training. Doping in sport is not only a scam, it is also a shortcut that nullifies dignity, “he says.
“Talent is a gift received, but by itself it is not enough. You have to work on it. Training is taking care of that talent, trying to make those possibilities mature,” he adds.
By last, Pope Francis talks about his wishes for the year ahead.
“My wish is very simple, I say it with the words they wrote on a shirt they gave me: ‘Better a clean defeat than a dirty victory’. I wish it to everyone, not just sports. It is the most beautiful way to play in your life, with your head held high, “he concludes.
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