Brazilian football legend Pele mourned the death of a fellow legend and "great friend", Diego Maradona who on Wednesday passed away at the age of 60. He died of a heart attack two weeks after being released from a Buenos Aires hospital following brain surgery.
"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 ball together in the sky," Pele wrote on Twitter.
Maradona inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, as a skipper, the edition that had witnessed arguably one of the great World Cup goals ever and also the infamous 'Hand of God'. For more than two decades, Maradona ruled the hearts of football lovers with people idolising his unique style of football, such that his fame failed to get tarnished amid his addictions and a poor run as the coach of the Argentine national team. He continues to be celebrated in his nation as the “Pibe de Oro” or “Golden Boy.”
At the club level, Maradona gained success mostly with Napoli whom he led to Serie A title win and the Italian Cup victory in 1987. He also won the league title in 1990 and the UEFA European Cup in 1991.
In 2001, FIFA had announced Maradona as one of the two greatest in the history of the sport, alongside Pele.
