Editing Diego Maradona (section)

===Barcelona===
{{Quote box|width=32%|align=right|quote="He had complete mastery of the ball. When Maradona ran with the ball or dribbled through the defence, he seemed to have the ball tied to his boots. I remember our early training sessions with him: the rest of the team were so amazed that they just stood and watched him. We all thought ourselves privileged to be witnesses of his genius."|source=—Barcelona teammate [[Francisco José Carrasco|Lobo Carrasco]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Barca: A People's Passion|first=Jimmy |last=Burns |pages=251|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |date=31 Jul 2009}}</ref>}}

After the [[1982 FIFA World Cup|1982 World Cup]], Maradona was transferred to [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] for a then [[World football transfer record|world record fee]] of £5&nbsp;million ($7.6&nbsp;million).<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/3278819/Life-and-crimes-of-Diego-Armando-Maradona-Football.html "Life and crimes of Diego Armando Maradona"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128152054/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/3278819/Life-and-crimes-of-Diego-Armando-Maradona-Football.html |date=28 November 2020 }}. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved 15 October 2015</ref> In the [[1982–83 FC Barcelona season|1982–83 season]], under coach [[César Luis Menotti]], Barcelona and Maradona won two trophies, the [[1982–83 Copa del Rey|Copa del Rey]] and [[1983 Copa de la Liga|Copa de la Liga]], both of them coming against Real Madrid.

On 26 June 1983, in the 1st leg of the Copa de la Liga finals at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Maradona scored and became the first Barcelona player to be applauded by arch-rival Real Madrid fans.<ref name="Clasico" /> Maradona dribbled past Madrid goalkeeper [[Agustín Rodríguez Santiago|Agustín]], and as he approached the empty goal, he stopped just as Madrid defender [[Juan José Jiménez Collar|Juan José]] came sliding in an attempt to block the shot. José ended up crashing into the post, before Maradona slotted the ball into the net.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/news/2012-2013/30-years-since-maradona-stunned-the-santiago-bernabeu |title=30 years since Maradona stunned the Santiago Bernabéu |publisher=[[FC Barcelona]] |date=25 June 1013 |access-date=12 October 2022 |archive-date=25 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625161538/https://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/news/2012-2013/30-years-since-maradona-stunned-the-santiago-bernabeu |url-status=live }}</ref> With the manner in which the goal was scored resulting in applause from opposition fans, only [[Ronaldinho]] (in November 2005) and [[Andrés Iniesta]] (in November 2015) have since been granted such an ovation as Barcelona players from Madrid fans at the [[Santiago Bernabéu Stadium|Santiago Bernabéu]].<ref name="Clasico">[https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/real-madrid-0-barcelona-3-bernabeu-forced-to-pay-homage-as-ronaldinho-soars-above-the-galacticos-516202.html "Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 3: Bernabeu forced to pay homage as Ronaldinho soars above the galacticos"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109235502/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/real-madrid-0-barcelona-3-bernabeu-forced-to-pay-homage-as-ronaldinho-soars-above-the-galacticos-516202.html |date=9 January 2018 }}. ''The Independent''. Retrieved 29 November 2013</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://nesn.com/2015/11/real-madrid-fans-applaud-barcelonas-andres-iniesta-in-el-clasico-video/ |title=Real Madrid Fans Applaud Barcelona's Andres Iniesta In 'El Clasico' |first=Marcus |last=Kwesi O'Mard |work=[[New England Sports Network|NESN]] |date=21 November 2015 |access-date=28 January 2016 |archive-date=2 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102160305/https://nesn.com/2015/11/real-madrid-fans-applaud-barcelonas-andres-iniesta-in-el-clasico-video/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Three days later, Barcelona won the second leg 2–1, with Maradona scoring a penalty and helping his club win another title against their [[El Clásico|archrivals]].

[[File:Goikoetxea lesiona maradona.jpg|thumb|left|Moment when Athletic Bilbao defender [[Andoni Goikoetxea]] injured Maradona on 24 September 1983]]
Due to illness and injury as well as controversial incidents on the field, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona.<ref Name=Guardian>{{cite web|url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1677834,00.html|title=That's one hell of a diet, Diego|date=8 January 2006|access-date=12 October 2022|work=[[The Observer]]|archive-date=13 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413073031/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1677834,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> First a bout of [[hepatitis]], then a broken ankle in a [[La Liga]] game at the [[Camp Nou]] in September 1983 caused by a reckless tackle by Athletic Bilbao's [[Andoni Goikoetxea]]—nicknamed "the Butcher of Bilbao"—threatened to jeopardize Maradona's career, but with treatment and rehabilitation, it was possible for him to return to the pitch after a three-month recovery period.<ref Name=vivadiego/><ref name="Balague"/>

[[File:Maradona kempes spain.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Maradona with his fellow countryman [[Mario Kempes]] before a Barcelona match against [[CF Valencia|Valencia]] in 1982]]
Maradona was directly involved in a violent fight during the [[1984 Copa del Rey Final]] in Madrid against Athletic Bilbao.<ref name="butcher">{{cite news|title=Diego Maradona gives hot, hot heat to The Butcher of Bilbao|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2008/dec/05/joy-of-six-scott-murray|first=Scott|last=Murray|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=5 December 2008|access-date=12 October 2022|archive-date=28 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128145519/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2008/dec/05/joy-of-six-scott-murray|url-status=live}}</ref> After receiving another hard tackle by Goikoetxea, as well as being taunted with racist insults related to his father's Native American ancestry throughout the match by Bilbao fans, and being provoked by Bilbao's [[Miguel Ángel Sola|Miguel Sola]] at full time after Barcelona lost 1–0, Maradona snapped.<ref name="butcher"/> He aggressively got up, stood inches from Sola's face and the two exchanged words. This started a chain reaction of emotional reactions from both teams. Using expletives, Sola mimicked a gesture from the crowd towards Maradona by using a xenophobic term.<ref name="Calioli"/> Maradona then headbutted Sola, elbowed another Bilbao player in the face and kneed another player in the head, knocking him out cold.<ref name="butcher"/> The Bilbao squad surrounded Maradona to exact some retribution, with Goikoetxea connecting with a high kick to his chest, before the rest of the Barcelona squad joined in to help Maradona. From this point, Barcelona and Bilbao players brawled on the field with Maradona in the centre of the action, kicking and punching anyone in a Bilbao shirt.<ref name="butcher"/>

The mass brawl was played out in front of the Spanish [[King Juan Carlos]] and an audience of 100,000 fans inside the stadium, and more than half of Spain watching on television.<ref name="Bilbao"/> After fans began throwing solid objects on the field at the players, coaches and even photographers, sixty people were injured, with the incident effectively sealing Maradona's transfer out of the club in what was his last game in a Barcelona shirt.<ref name="Calioli">Luca Caioli (2013). "Messi: The Inside Story of the Boy Who Became a Legend"</ref> One Barcelona executive stated: "When I saw those scenes of Maradona fighting and the chaos that followed I realized we couldn't go any further with him."<ref name="Bilbao">Jimmy Burns. (2011). "Maradona: The Hand of God". pp.121–122. A&C Black</ref> Maradona got into frequent disputes with Barcelona executives, particularly club president [[Josep Lluís Núñez]], culminating with a demand to be transferred out of the Camp Nou in 1984. During his two injury-hit seasons at Barcelona, Maradona scored 38 goals in 58 games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/columns/indepth/maradona_indepth.html |title=Backgrounder: Diego Maradona|work=[[CBC Sports]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628054737/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/columns/indepth/maradona_indepth.html|archive-date=28 June 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Maradona transferred to [[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]] in Italy's [[Serie A]] for another world record fee, £6.9&nbsp;million ($10.48&nbsp;million).<ref name="Times">{{cite web|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/europe/article3325254.ece|title=Snapshot: Maradona is toast of the town after signing for Napoli|date=20 February 2012|access-date=12 October 2022|work=[[The Times]]|archive-date=10 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910064936/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/europe/article3325254.ece|url-status=dead}}</ref>