Maradona documentary to release in June

Muscat: A documentary on Diego Maradona is set to release next month, and will chronicle the rise and fall of the Argentine footballing great.

Set to release on June 14, 2019, Diego Maradona is to be released by Altitude Films, and involves producer Paul Martin and director Asif Kapadia.

Martin’s previous works include similar documentaries on stars such as Brazilian racing sensation Ayrton Senna and British pop star Amy Winehouse.
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A statement from Altitude Films said: “The third film from the Academy Award and BAFTA-winning team behind Senna and Amy and producer Paul Martin, Diego Maradona is constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage from Maradona’s personal archive with the full support of the man himself.

“On 5th July 1984, Diego Maradona arrived in Naples for a world-record fee. For seven years all hell broke loose,” said the statement. “The world’s most celebrated football icon and the most passionate but dangerous city in Europe were a perfect match for each other. On the pitch, Diego Maradona was a genius. Off the pitch, he was treated like a God. The charismatic Argentine loved a fight against the odds and led Napoli to their first-ever title. It was the stuff of dreams.

“But there was a price... Diego could do as he pleased while performing miracles on the pitch but, as time passed, darker days closed in.”

Maradona is widely considered to be one of the best-ever footballers to play the game. The Argentine is best known for his 'Hand of God' goal during the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup against England.

His second goal in that game was later voted the Gold of the Century in a 2002 poll conducted by FIFA. That goal saw him dribble past five players before rounding the keeper and slotting the ball into the net. Argentina would go on to win that tournament.

Maradona was also the player who broke global transfer fees on two separate occasions: The first was when Barcelona signed him for £5 million in 1982, and then when Napoli signed him in 1984 for £6.9 million two years later.

His clubs include Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys.

Video and Image Courtesy - Altitude Films