Sparky’s Column

El Diego Arrives!

 

We shall wait no longer Maradona is here! It has been the most anticipated arrival in the UAE since the first A380 landed. He was photographed at the airport clutching a bouquet whilst grinning for the camera. There is something extremely charismatic about the man, I saw him at the opening of Aspire in Qatar and he has a presence like no other. That was a weekend that saw Maradona and Pele grace the same stage during a discussion panel. Pele has a statesman like presence, he knows he is a huge star and is always careful to play the diplomat. Maradona on the other hand is a man who knows he is good and does it his own way. If he upsets individuals, teams or FIFA then that's their problem not his. Pele is happy to be the figure head on the periphery of the sport, he has never coached since playing and prefers the ambassadorial roles that have been plentiful in his retirement. Maradona is different, in his own mind he has never stopped playing. If you read his autobiography and it is like you are on the pitch with him. He lives, breathes and eats football, if he can't play then he will coach and he will do that like he played, with passion to match his skill. I doubt you would ever see Pele as animated but that simply is because Maradona does not need to appear the statesman. He is a coach and if his style upsets a few people then so be it, he is not for changing, its Maradona's way or the highway.

 

 

The Holy Month of Ramadan is a time when most Muslim's are fasting, work hours are reduced and the daily rigours of life take a back seat for quiet reflection. This is something that the UAE is geared up for and it means the clubs plan their training schedules accordingly. It is different for any Muslims that are playing their football abroad. I was watching Cardif City Versus West Ham in the football league and I noticed substitute Gestede praying before he came onto the pitch. It must be extremely difficult for any player to observe the Holy Month and still perform as a professional footballer. The players that do it show a real self discipline and should be applauded for it.

 

The Premier League kicks off in four days as I write this from Liverpool, England. The excitement and hype is reaching a fever pitch. It dominates every inch of the sports columns, every second of sports news and every football fans conversation, the clock is ticking in the countdown to kick off.  We will have to wait a bit longer in the UAE but the spectacle of the European kick off just whets the appetite for a season that with Maradona onboard should be like no other.