All language subtitles for When Lineker Met Maradona

This programme contains
some strong language.

After every replay it became more
obvious that it was quite

clearly a handball.

How could a 5 ft 6 inch player
outjump a 6 ft 1 inch goalkeeper?

I'll never forgive him.

He milked it.

But what a player.

I'm on my way to Argentina
to meet an old adversary.

A footballing genius.

COMMENTATOR: Maradona -
the greatest player in the world.

..Beaten by Diego Maradona.

..Maradona has failed a drugs test.

..Expelled from the tournament.

The man they can't contain!

..He was diagnosed with hypertension
and heart problems.

Wonderful piece of play by Maradona.

A 5 ft 4 inch drug-taking
Argentinian footballer.

I don't think I've ever seen
a player quite like that.

..Troubled by drink and drugs.

No other footballer in the world
is living under this much pressure.

Unbelievable!

..Banned by FIFA from all football.

..Alleged tax fraud of £17 million.

Yet another flawed genius of sport.

20 years ago Maradona
was in top of the world.

His life since then has been
a mixture of extraordinary

highs and desperate lows.

Success on the pitch was gradually
enveloped by massive problems

off it Drug addiction,
obesity and ill-health.

It appeared that his number was up.

But the world's greatest number
10 was not quite ready

to shake the hand of God.

# Oh sinner man where
you gonna run to?

# Sinner man where you gonna run to?

# Where you gonna run to?

# All on them day

# The rock right out
I can't hide you

# The rock cried out
I can't hide you

# The rock
cried out I ain't gonna hide you

# All on them day

# I said rock What's
the matter with you...?#

This is not the first time I've
been to Buenos Aires

in search of Diego.

I came here nine years ago
with aspirations of meeting him.

After a series of wild goose chases,
I failed to get my man.

Hopefully, I'll have
better luck this time.

Our first reunion is planned
at a veteran six-a-side game

in which Diego is taking part.

From the Aztec Stadium
and 100,000 people,

to a dilapidated makeshift arena.

But if Maradona's name
is on the team-sheet,

you know it will be packed
to the rafters.

My first glimpse of
the little man in years.

He seems relaxed - cigar in mouth.

With his close links to Fidel Castro
no doubt it's Cuban.

His best days are long
behind him but to his fans,

he will always be the greatest.

BUS HORN TOOTS REPEATEDLY

TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH:
I came to see Diego.

To see him back after all he's
been through is magic.

To see him in his current
condition is unbelievable.

For me, he is like a god.

I am very happy to
see him doing things.

And I'm not the only one -
everyone in Argentina

loves him so much.

He is a God.

He is a phenomenon.

He is everything to me.

I bet there's not a footballer
on the planet who's not

slightly in awe of Maradona.

And I'm no different.

He said he'd meet me in the dressing
room prior to kick-off.

To be honest I feel
a little nervous.

HE SINGS IN SPANISH

If this goes OK,
the next next two days,

and we are not chasing...

WOOOOAAAAH!

For Maradona, drink,
drugs, weight and health problems

meant that playing football has not
been part of his life for some time.

But following surgery and rehab,
a drug-free Diego is back

to his playing weight,
leading his country once more

as Argentina face Brazil.

It's also a family affair.

It's also a family affair.

Mum, Dad, both daughters
and countless friends

are in the audience.

Everyone wants to see the man
they love, doing what he likes best.

He may have lost a little pace,
but he's certainly not

lost his competitive edge.

And the old left foot
is still on first-name

terms with the ball.

The match is drawn at 7-7.

Extra time?

No chance.

Not at 45 years of age.

Maradona's had enough
and calls time on the game.

He seldom had such control
on his own career.

Another trophy, then, for Maradona -
for the aficionados,

there was only one player
on the pitch.

There's nothing quite like the blue,
blue grass of home.

I was pleasantly surprised
at his physical condition.

He's clearly got himself
back into shape.

Diego Armando Maradona has
quite a story to tell.

And I'm looking forward
to hearing it tomorrow.

I am approaching the house
where Diego currently resides.

The world's greatest
footballer lives with his mum.

We've come a long way.

I hope he's in!

At three o'clock, P.M.

Or two o'clock.

Two hours.

OK?

GARY SPEAKS IN SPANISH

Uh, Diego no here.

Hey, you speak in Spanish?

Well, Diego's not here yet.

They told us to come at this time.

But they're now saying
it's a bit later.

Which is not entirely
unexpected, to be honest.

I'm going to come back.

He's promised me he will be here.

I hope he will be.

Vale.

See you later.

Asta luego!

See you later.

Hasta luego!

What a shock.

COMMENTATOR: Maradona, on the ball.

Lays it outside and finds Valdano.

Maradona's there,
rises above Shilton...

It was the hand of a rascal
and he cheated us.

I'll never forgive him,
and I'll never forget him.

For the Argentinian football fan,
the ability to tease

and deceive your opponent
is something that is very admired.

This is unfair.

You can't get away with cheating
in a tournament like that,

in a quarter-final of a World Cup.

You can't get away with cheating.

It's not considered cheating -
it's considered part of the game.

England played really well
and deserved something.

They got so cheated that day.

The England players were devastated.

They were numb.

Some of them couldn't talk about it.

Some of them went and got drunk.

I think it was just one thing
in the life of the Argentine people.

You can say, "If he hadn't
punched it in, "England

would have won the World Cup."

He knew he'd cheated.

The "hand of God" was a load
of nonsense and just

added to the irritation.

Two hours later, let's try again.

See if we are luckier this time.

Definitely in the right place, then.

..Nice to meet you.

I've met his mum.

I'm in the house.

This is actually going to happen!

You talk about Maradona,
you talk about Pele.

Maradona, his abilities
on the field, maybe

the same with Pele.

But he had some
problems off the field.

SIR BOBBY ROBSON: A genius,
a real artist, one of the greatest

players in the world.

He bullied the opposition
and he inspired his own team.

He was extraordinary.

Unique.

Him and the ball -
I don't know where he finish

and where the ball start!

He was terrifying.

You couldn't do anything about him.

He didn't just destroy England.

I remember him destroying Belgium.

There's a fantastic photo of him
on the ball, with six Belgian

defenders all looking
a little bit afraid.

Because he could do anything.

ROBSON: He could win
a match on his own.

On his own.

He proved in that World Cup that one
man can make a team.

I can't think of a World Cup
finals which had been

so dominated by one player.

He would have to be up there amongst
the world's best players.

There's no doubt about that.

I think he was operating
on a different level to most people.

If he was around today,
he would be pushing Ronaldinho

to be the best player
in the world, still.

It was quite a poor area
that you grew up in.

It was a tough upbringing.

Do you think that was one
of the reasons why you wanted

to fight so hard to get out
of that background?

TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH: My father
worked such a lot to support us.

There were eight of us children.

But that made us very strong.

It made everyone strong.

Not just me, but all my
brothers and sisters.

But thank God, the one
who could reach the highest was me.

Just as my parents made sacrifices,
when we were children,

for me and for my brothers
and sisters, then today, we are able

to give them a good life.

When he was 21, Maradona left
Argentinian football to join

Barcelona where he was instantly
a marked man, especially

for the Butcher of Bilbao A broken
ankle was one of many problems

he endured at Barca.

His experiments with
drugs began and revenge

on the pitch proved costly.

This was his last-ever
game for the club.

The subject of drugs
started in Barcelona.

It started as entertainment.

It ended very badly.

It ended very badly because...

..you get used to the drug.

You become an addict.

You went to play for Napoli.

You had a fantastic time there.

You achieved so much.

Yes, I think so.

At Napoli every Sunday,
there were 100,000 people.

We were in seventh heaven
when we beat Juventus 1-0.

I scored a free-kick over
the wall, past the corner.

At Napoli, we used
to say, "Let's win.

Let's beat Juventus, Milan, Inter."

But then they started to want more.

They wanted the championship,
they wanted the UEFA Cup.

They wanted the Champions League.

We spoiled them.

For a team like Napoli to win two
championships in Italy is amazing.

It's a really big deal.

Because if it isn't Juventus,
it's Milan, if it isn't Milan,

it's Inter or Roma.

'86, probably the highlight
of your career.

You got through to the quarter-final
where you played us, England.

There was a lot of build-up to that
game, because of the Falklands,

Malvinas, beforehand.

Both sides said at the time
that wasn't important.

Was that true for you?

It seems to me that everyone
surrounding us was talking

about the Falklands.

We just wanted to play
a football game.

We weren't going to resolve
anything, thinking about something

else other than winning.

Winning the game against England.

There'll be tension from their side
cos they lost the war.

We won it, so there won't be
tension on our side.

Don't ask me anything regarding
the diplomatic situation, OK?

Eng-a-land!

Eng-a-land!

Argentina!

Argentina!

We're here to play football.

Don't confuse the two issues.

All political banners
were confiscated before the match.

We're footballers, not politicians.

But many banners were
smuggled into the ground.

Anti-British slogans
were painted on Argentine flags.

It's just a football match
between two sets of players.

This time, the disgraceful scenes
at an international soccer match

were not so much English fans
on the rampage, but

rather on the retreat.

COMMENTATOR: He got his
left hand to the ball.

He stretched, he turned
it past Shilton.

# Oh, sinner man,
where you gonna run to?#

And Maradona gives
Argentina the lead.

The England players
protesting to the referee.

ARGENTINE COMMENTATOR:
Diego Armando Maradona!

ENGLISH COMMENTATOR: Burrachaga
to his left, and Valdano.

He won't need any of them.

Oh!

You have to say that's magnificent.

ARGENTINE COMMENTATOR:
Diego Armando Maradona!

That's nicely done.

It's a good cross.

Lineker!

And English hopes are rekindled.

It's a good cross...

Lineker just could not get to it.

Centimetres away.

It's the end of the road
for Bobby Robson's England.

# Argentina, campion!#

It was a dubious goal.

Guaranteed handball.

A miracle!

He just took a chance
and punched it.

I couldn't believe it.

How Gary Lineker didn't quite put
the ball in at the end,

he doesn't even know.

The bookmakers, William Hill,
are giving back more than £10,000

in stake money to people who bet
that England's World Cup

match against Argentina
would end in a draw.

The company say the moral result
was a 1-1 draw because Argentina's

first goal was scored with a hand.

A legitimate goal,
Maradona insisted.

He told me he did not cheat.

But the row over Maradona's dubious
goal will be a soccer talking

point for years to come.

Everybody knows he handballed it.

He knows he handballed it.

But he won't come out and say it.

A man called Maradona has put us
out of this World Cup.

From us, Cheerio.

It was your hand, or the hand
of God TRANSLATED FROM

It was your hand,
or the hand of God?

TRANSLATED FROM
SPANISH: It was my hand.

With this, I don't mean any
disrespect to English fans.

But this is something that happens.

We used to do this.

I had scored goals before
in Argentina with my hand.

It was a goal that,
I couldn't reach it,

and Shilton was already there.

I couldn't head it.

So I did like that.

And I moved my head back.

I started to run, Shilton didn't
realise, and the one

who told him was the sweeper -
he is the one who sees my hand.

Butcher.

Butcher.

TRANSLATED: When I see
the linesman running,

I go out, shouting, "Goal!"

I looked behind me to see
whether the referee took the bait.

And he had.

So that was it.

"Come on, come on."

It was a goal.

As you ran away and you were looking
around, your team mates,

do you think they knew?

My team-mates did notice.

They didn't come over
to celebrate with me.

I was saying, "Come on, hug me!

Let's do it properly,
let's go the whole way," hoping

the goal would be allowed.

Thank God it was.

In England, that would be
regarded as cheating.

They would say that is
totally against fair play.

How do you see that?

No.

I don't think it's cheating.

It's cunning...cheekiness...

..it can be handling the ball or...

No, it's not cheating.

I don't think it's cheating.

I believe it's a craftiness.

Maybe we have a lot more of it
in South America than in Europe,

but it's not cheating.

Why did you say
about the hand of God?

Because God gives us a hand.

Because he gave us a hand.

Because it is very difficult for it
not to be seen by two people -

the referee and the linesman.

That's why I said it
was the hand of God.

Personally, I blame the referee
and the linesman, not

you, if that counts.

The second goal is probably the one
and only time in my whole career

that I felt like applauding
the opposition scoring a goal.

Your best goal?

It's the dream goal.

The dream goal.

Us footballers always dream
of scoring the best goal in history.

We dream it and we have
it in our heads.

And the truth is to score that goal,
for me was fantastic.

And in a World Cup.

Incredible.

When you talk about playing
against Italy, for example,

Uruguay or Brazil, it is much more
complicated to do the move that I

did whilst playing against England.

Because the English player
is a lot more noble,

much more honest on the pitch.

Just one thing.

I think they were trying to kick
you - they just couldn't catch you!

Of course - was it Peter Reid?

That's right.

He wanted, he wanted...

You could see him trying
but just not making it.

He couldn't reach.

And then, when I faced
the sweeper, what was his name?

Fenwick?

Fenwick.

The one with the long hair.

When I faced him, I saw that
Valdano and Burrachaga

pass me from over there,
so I dummied him.

I dummied him, and Fenwick does
this, he doesn't know what to do,

to go this way or that,
and when I kick it forward

I saw Shilton coming out
and I dummied him, like this.

And Shilton spread
himself out like this.

I just touched it like this
and Butcher was closing in.

He gave me a kick on my
right leg but I saw,

when Butcher came closing in,
I'd already touched the ball.

You went on to win the World Cup.

The highlight of your career?

It was.

I think it was the moment
of glory, of total glory.

A World Cup in which we weren't
the favourites but we became

stronger as we progressed
through the tournament,

game after game.

Personally, it was the ultimate
achievement, the ultimate.

A lot of people around the world say
that Maradona won this

World Cup on his own,
that they didn't have a goo team.

What do you say about that?

No, no, no.

We had a great team.

A good team became a much greater
one because of my presence.

I recognise that.

But I am also totally convinced that
I didn't win the World Cup alone.

That's a fact.

Without the team's contribution,
I might have won the game

against England but not
all the games we won after that.

His romantic interlude with Italian
football ended in tears,

like so much in his life.

After Argentina knocked Italy out
of the 1990 World Cup,

the nation where he'd lived
for seven years turned against him.

But despite the cost
to his professional career,

Maradona has no regrets.

If the deal had been that I had
to pay what I ended up paying

for knocking Italy out,
I would say, "OK, I've

paid my dues, now."

Then they threw me out.

But the joy I felt at
knocking Italy out, for me,

who was living in Italy,
it was fantastic.

After losing the 1990 World Cup
final, Maradona's highs in life

tended to be more drug-induced
than from a celebration

of sporting achievement.

But, for the 1994 World Cup
in America, his country called again

and his answer was yes.

All these little
intricate one-twos...

Maradona.

However, that was not the only
positive result he gave.

He was kicked out of the tournament
after a failed drugs test.

The player, Diego Maradona, has
therefore violated the provisions

of the doping control regulations.

It was a mistake.

We used to take Ripped Fuel
which does not contain

ephedrine here in Argentina -
but it does in America.

It was a mistake on
the part of my doctor.

I was a cocaine addict at the time.

That's not an advantage.

But if my intention had been to take
a performance-enhancing drug,

I would have chosen other stuff.

I don't know - much stronger stuff
available at the time.

But not ephedrine.

You got a big suspension
at that stage.

How were you received
when you got home?

What was the reaction
of your people?

My people have always been with me.

My family, my wife, my daughters.

What was tough was being out
of football for so long.

I was an addict.

And this means there's
no going back.

It's not about blaming
or looking for excuses.

No.

I was an addict.

It's not because I wasn't playing
football or because I didn't score

more goals or because I didn't
train every day.

No, no.

It's an illness.

It's a disease.

And today, thank God,
I am able to get up every day.

A diet of cocaine and fast food
had a desperate effect

on the health of Maradona.

His first major heart problem
came when he was 40.

A few years later he suffered
a second, more serious attack.

At the age of 43, it looked
like his time was up.

Did you think that you were going
to die at any stage?

No, you don't realise that
you're going to die.

One always wants to breathe,
but I felt really bad

when my daughter told me that
I was practically dead.

And, when she went like this, "Dad,
live for me, live for me..."

So when my daughter tells me this,
I said to myself, "Wow,

I was dying and my daughter wanted
to rescue me."

I mean, I was practically dead.

I was in a coma.

My daughter said,
"Daddy, Daddy, live!

Live for me."

The youngest one.

Was that the turning
point, do you think?

Si.

Si.

Were you aware during this stage
of the massive feeling

of affection for you,
right around the world?

Yes.

That also gave me the strength
to recover as fast as possible.

Seeing on television that people
were praying for me,

praying that I would get better.

That gave me strength.

Do you feel that sometimes,
with an addiction, that you have

to reach the lowest point,
to make you realise that there's

something worth fighting for?

Yes.

The thing is, even while others want
to help you, you are out of reach.

I mean you shut yourself
off inside yourself

and you don't speak to anyone.

But, certainly, what happened
to me, I was almost dead.

You can't go any lower than that.

You can't get any lower.

I think what makes me want to keep
on living is being able

to see my daughters every day.

Before, I used to see them around
but I was addicted to drugs

so I didn't enjoy them.

I didn't touch them.

I saw them, as if they had
flashed before me.

Everything was flashing by.

You have come a long way over
the last 18 months or so.

Yes.

It has been a year since my
operation, and a lot longer,

almost two years, that I haven't
taken any drugs.

I feel perfect.

I feel great.

I get up every morning
with lots of energy.

It's not just in his battle
with drugs that Maradona's

enjoying success nowadays.

He's become the host of the most
popular TV show in Argentina.

La Noce del Diez -
The Night of the 10 -

is rather like his life.

A little over the top.

All the stars come in.

Everybody wants to know
Diego, and everybody

wants to go to his show.

I play with him in football
tennis and when you play

with your idol, in his programme,
it is something good.

This was television like I'd
never seen it before.

It was an extraordinary,
surreal mixture of reality show

and expensive kind of Italian
super-production and chat show,

but also the kind of quality
of the guests is amazing.

It's almost like people are saying,
"Please may we come on your show?"

And then he's kind of not
that interested in them.

Castro called him.

That was an interview
who all of the journalists

of the world want to do.

But Diego did it.

It was a very important time
for him, when he was recovering,

to receive all the warmth
from the people.

I say, I ought to thank the Guy
Upstairs, the Beard, as I call him.

He gives me opportunities
and I make the most of them.

And I give my all to
make the most of them.

We made a brilliant programme.

We had great fun.

People were with us all along.

We gave the people what they wanted.

I really enjoyed myself.

It was a real challenge for me.

I trained at home
with my two daughters!

I studied everything.

It wasn't a question of my just
going along to see what happens.

I took the responsibility very
seriously, but to a new world,

which was television.

You have also got an interest now
in politics as well.

We have seen you in Cuba
with Fidel Castro on many occasions.

Where did that interest come from?

No, I'm not interested in politics.

I think that politics
is dirty business.

I don't believe politicians.

IN SPANISH: No, I'm not
interested in politics.

I believe we have to make
this a better country.

But I also think we should be more
self-critical in order to motivate

those so-called politicians,
who are the ones who can give

us a better country.

Fidel Castro is the most iconic
figure we have in the world.

He risked his life for his land.

And he gives the people what he can.

For all Diego's triumphs,
whether on the box or IN the box,

beating his addictions would surely
be the most impressive.

At his heaviest, he weighed almost 2
stone and had his stomach stapled

-- At his heaviest, he weighed
almost 20 stone and had his stomach

stapled in an effort
to control his obesity.

Now back to full health,
living at the home of his parents

is a constant reminder to Diego
of what he almost lost.

As for his daughters,
being the proud father is a joy he's

finally experiencing.

Do you speak English?

Yeah.

Yes?

Good!

Si, muy bien.

Well...

I don't understand!

Where were you in England?

London.

Whereabouts?

In London?

At school?

At school?

No.

I only study here.

Aside from his family, Boca Juniors
are the love of Maradona's life.

They are his hometown club,
he played for them twice

and he never misses a home game.

And we're off to see them play.

There can't be another individual
in world sport more adored

by his public than Maradona.

He's very popular!

The Boca fans are not only grateful
for his loyalty to the club

but the fact that he's alive
and back amongst them.

THE SUPPORTERS SING

There's an extraordinary
atmosphere at La Bonbonera.

The fans never stop singing
and the words weren't always

about the players on the pitch
but the little fellow in the stand.

It's calmed down a lot now.

Not your average director!

I don't think there's any sport
better than football.

I don't think such a thing exists.

All sports may be very noble
but the number one sport,

the king of sports, that's football.

When I'm running
after a ball, it's fun.

I feel pleasure, I feel joy.

Very intense.

I will be going to
see the World Cup.

It's difficult.

It's a month for which you play
for all or nothing.

It depends on how you
are when you get there.

Argentina will have a chance.

It was a good goal, a good goal.

England has a good team.

Much stronger than
previous World Cups.

I think, with the experience
of its players, it could be

a good World Cup for them.

Wayne Rooney - I like him very much.

He's strong, he's tough, he sticks
his bum out, he has character.

Fuerte!

The truth is, I'm going
through a wonderful phase.

After losing 54 kilos and being
completely detoxed, I am well.

I feel physically well.

Maybe before I was physically OK
on the outside, but now I'm

also well on the inside.

Today, I want to live.

I came to Argentina not really
knowing what to expect.

What I found was a man enjoying
a second chance at life and a nation

rejoicing in his resurrection.

# ...Armando Marado,
Marado...#