During a television appearance in Buenos Aires, event producer Claudia Villafañe detailed the clandestine methods a young Diego Maradona used to sneak out for nighttime outings during their courtship, including an occasion when his father mistakenly reprimanded her for coming home late. According to reports from the culinary program eltrecetv.com.ar and Caras, the long-time relationship began when they were teenagers living as neighbors in the La Paternal neighborhood.
Early Romance and Living “Passageway Apart”
Claudia Villafañe and Diego Maradona shared a history spanning more than 25 years, originating in 1977 when both were adolescents. Because their families lived in close proximity in Buenos Aires—described by Villafañe as living a mere passageway apart—they crossed paths constantly. While her school friends spent their adolescence attending dances, Villafañe routinely accompanied the rising football star. As she noted during her appearance on the cooking show hosted by Jimena Monteverde with chef Coco Carreño, her routine revolved entirely around the athlete.
“I started dating very young, at 15,” Villafañe explained, adding that while her peers went out dancing, she spent her time alongside Maradona. Despite this devotion, Maradona occasionally ventured out alone to nightclubs, a dynamic that she acknowledged brought frequent media attention. “He went alone and everyone found out. The next day he was on the cover of a newspaper. I was already getting used to it. It wasn’t that it was normal, but well…”, she recounted.
The Car-Pushing Strategy in La Paternal
To avoid waking Villafañe or drawing attention from her household when he wanted to slip away for a nocturnal outing, Maradona devised a quiet physical maneuver with his newly purchased automobile. According to coverage from Caras, the forward would physically push his vehicle away from their homes and down toward the corner of the street.
To mask any ambient noise, Maradona waited strategically for a public bus to pass by before turning the ignition key. Only when the car was sufficiently far down the block would he start the engine, ensuring the household remained undisturbed.
Don Diego’s Mistaken Scolding
The clandestine operation ultimately came to light through an unexpected source the following morning. As Villafañe stopped by Maradona’s home to greet him before heading off to school, she was intercepted by Don Diego, the player’s father.
Expecting a normal morning greeting, Villafañe was instead met with a stern reprimand regarding the late hour at which the couple had supposedly returned home the night before. Caught off guard by the accusation, Villafañe responded immediately to clear up the misunderstanding, stating, “Don Diego, I didn’t go out last night.”
Realizing he had mistakenly confused her with the companion who had accompanied his son on the nocturnal excursion, Don Diego reacted with immediate embarrassment, exclaiming “Ay, carajos” before retreating inside. Over time, the awkward morning confrontation evolved into a lighthearted memory that both could view with humor.
Reflecting on Decades Shared
Reflecting on the challenges and unique routines of those formative years, Villafañe summarized her adaptation to the football icon’s lifestyle with straightforward pragmatism: “I got used to it. He was like that.” The anecdote provides a rare, personal window into the domestic realities of two figures whose lives would remain publicly intertwined for decades following their early days in La Paternal.
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