Ossie Ardiles fought back tears as he paid tribute to the “incredibly special” Diego Maradona, who has died aged 60.
Ex-Tottenham and Argentina midfielder Ardiles, 68, was a close friend and former international team-mate of Maradona, regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time.
Maradona, the midfield linchpin of the Argentina side that won the 1986 World Cup and former national team manager, had successful surgery to remove a blood clot on the brain in a Buenos Aires hospital earlier this month.
His personal physician Dr Leopoldo Luque said the early signs were “favourable”, but it has been reported that Maradona suffered a fatal heart attack at his home on Wednesday.
An emotional Ardiles told TalkSPORT: “It’s going to be very difficult. He’s a big part of our lives, yes. He was incredibly special.
“He was absolutely fantastic. When you watched him play you saw you were in the presence of somebody completely different, beyond what you were expecting.
“When I saw him for the very first time in the national team, we were all pretty good players, but he was miles ahead of us.”
News of his death prompted an outpouring of eulogies. Pele, who alongside Maradona often tops polls for the accolade of greatest footballer of all time, wrote on his official Twitter account: “What sad news.
“I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend. There is still much to be said, but for now, may God give strength to family members. One day, I hope we can play football together in the sky.”
Napoli tweeted: “There are no words to describe the pain we’re going through”. Barcelona added “thank you for everything, Diego”, while Boca gave “eternal thanks” to their former player.
Former England striker Gary Lineker, who played in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina, said: “By some distance the best player of my generation and arguably the greatest of all time.”
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo said on Instagram: “Today I bid farewell to a friend and the world farewells to an eternal genius. One of the best ever, an unmatched magician. Leaves too soon but leaves a boundless legacy and a void that will never be filled. RIP. You will never be forgotten.”
