Maradona
Logline
Biopic of Argentine and world soccer star Diego Maradona.
Synopsis
The life story of Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona, who had the world quite literally at his feet, but kicked, punched, snorted, and threw it all away.
The ultimate rags to riches story, an explosive cocktail of professional sport at its very best, drugs, the Mafia, prostitution, and constant battles with authority.
The story begins in Barcelona, the club that pays a world record fee for Maradona, but he never lives up to the price tag. Never at home in Barcelona, his constant battles with authority, exploration of recreational drugs, and a constant string of affairs, get in the way of the football, culminating in a mass brawl sparked by a running feud with another player.
Unbelievably, he’s virtually broke, and the only way out of his financial mess is a transfer to Napoli. At Napoli he becomes a folk hero, taking a club that had never won anything to two Italian titles and leading Argentina to World Cup glory, but the problems are never far away, and connections to the Mafia, drug-running and prostitution force him out.
Returning to Argentina, another drugs bust follows, but he manages to get himself back in shape to lead Argentina in World Cup USA 1994, only to fall foul of yet another drugs bust.
Fast forward to Cuba, where he spends much of his time now, and Maradona is asked the question ‘will he ever die?’, to which he answers ‘only when all four Beatles are waiting in heaven to welcome him’. In the worlds of fellow footballer Eric Cantona ‘In the course of time, it will be said that Maradona was to football what Rimbaud was to poetry and Mozart to music. Genius must be excused its human failings’.