Diego Maradona: seven must-read books to understand the Pibe de Oro | OneFootball

On November 25, 2020, Diego Armando Maradona passed away—a figure who had long since transcended the boundaries of sport to become a cultural, political, and identity symbol. Five years after his death, his image remains alive in the collective memory: from the streets of Naples, which preserve every echo of him, to Argentina, which continues to consider him a national hero, to those who see in him the pure and unruly talent capable of changing the history of football.

Diego Maradona Beyond the Myth: Seven Essential Books to Truly Understand the Pibe de Oro

This guide offers seven fundamental books to get to know Maradona in his many dimensions: the prodigy born in poverty, the unrepeatable athlete, the spontaneous leader, the teammate, the political man, the fragile friend, the unshakable legend.

Why Maradona Still Speaks to Us

Maradona is a plural thought. He is the image of juggling to the notes of “Life is Life,” the unparalleled goal of the ’86 World Cup, the voice of Toni Servillo announcing his arrival in The Hand of God, the embrace between football and geopolitics, between talent and self-destruction. To truly understand this complexity, reading is one of the few tools capable of giving depth to his story.

1. The Origins: The Birth of the Prodigy

“I Discovered Maradona. The Young Diego as Told by His First Coach” – Francisco Cornejo, Limina

Cornejo is the one who truly discovered Maradona. He saw him play at eight years old and guided his first steps into adolescence, describing a child who lived for football and a country—Argentina in the sixties and seventies—marked by enormous social contrasts. The book takes the reader into the dusty courtyards where the most discussed and celebrated talent of the twentieth century was born.

2. Maradona: Political and Social

“DiegoPolitik. Maradona, the Last Great Leader of the 20th Century” – Boris Sollazzo, Bibliotheka Edizioni

Sollazzo investigates the less immediate aspect of Maradona: his spontaneous and radical political role. Through episodes, speeches, and testimonies, a Maradona emerges who is aware of injustice and close to the marginalized. Two sentences summarize his stance, quoted in the book:

“It hurts me when I see children who have nothing to eat. I know what it means to be hungry.” “I am left-wing because I want to improve the lives of poor people.”

3. The Teammate: The Everyday Maradona

“I Saw Diego” – Ciro Ferrara, Cairo Editore

Ferrara recounts the Diego experienced in the locker rooms, in training, in victories and defeats. Not the myth, but the man who leads the group, who can be generous, volcanic, unpredictable. The period described (1984-1991) includes the years of triumph in Naples, but the thread of friendship continues well beyond.

4. Maradona in the First Person

“I Am El Diego” – Diego Armando Maradona, Fandango “The Hand of God. Mexico ’86” – Diego Armando Maradona

Two autobiographical works: one broader, one entirely dedicated to the World Cup that consecrated him. Here Diego tells his story without filters: the genius, the social revenge, the famous hand goal, his conflicted relationship with England. It is a Maradona who speaks to the world with candor, and does so with his unmistakable voice.

5. Friendship According to Gianni Minà

“Maradona: ‘I Will Never Be an Ordinary Man.’ Football in the Time of Diego” – Gianni Minà, Minimum Fax

Minà, one of the journalists who understood Maradona best, recalls a relationship born in 1986 and grown over the years. Through articles, meetings, and interviews, a fragile, rebellious, ungovernable Diego emerges, and at the same time deeply in need of authentic connections. It is one of the most human books about the champion.

6. The Last Days: Unanswered Questions

“When They Killed Maradona” – Maurizio Crosetti, Piemme

Crosetti investigates the events that led to Maradona's death, asking the questions many have avoided: Was he treated properly? Could he have been saved? The book tells the difficult context in which he lived in recent years, made up of fragility, addictions, conflicts, and mismanagement. A painful investigation, necessary for those who want to understand how the most beloved and controversial athlete of all time faded away.

An Impossible Portrait to Contain

None of these books is enough on its own. Maradona is not a monolithic character, but a collection of contradictions, greatness, wounds, and revolutions. Reading them means composing a mosaic that restores the profound meaning of what he was: a child born in the utmost poverty, a genius who rewrote the rules of the game, a man who paid dearly for his uniqueness, a symbol still alive for entire generations.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.