IT was a cracking idea by Pope Francis and the boys at [Vatican] City.
A ‘United for Peace’ exhibition football match in Rome’s Olympic Stadium involving a pantheon of ex-footballing icons, plus a couple of ringers from the Middle East to keep things sweet on the messy oul’ world peace front.
With all proceeds from the charity event earmarked for the Vatican’s international projects, including the earthquake-hit Italian town of Amatrice, it seemed a surefire case of hats/zucchettos off to the football-mad Pontiff, a lifelong fanatic of his hometown Argentine club, San Lorenzo de Amalgro.
Yes, ‘Winner, winner, T-bone steak and 14.5 per cent Merlot dinner,’ as his old compadrés from the Curva Sud would surely have clinked while saluting the good news in the best Bodegone that downtown Buenos Aires has to offer.
Religion, football, diplomacy and charity... what could possibly go wrong with this one? Step forward the boul’ Diego Armando... In fairness, Maradona maybe just didn’t notice the subject line (did someone say line?) titled ‘UNITED FOR PEACE’ on the original email from the ‘Big House’.
You know the one that probably had ‘PEACE’ underlined in bold capitals by 115 Cardinals before a drowsy Swiss Guard was plucked off the nightshift and asked to press the send button to handofGod@ yahoo.com?
Perhaps fuelled by the glaring detail that arch-nemesis Juan Sebastian Veron was listed on the opposing team, it was only a matter of time before the steam came flying out of ‘El Pibe de Oro’s’ ears like fumata bianca from a Sistine Chapel chimney after a feisty papal conclave or suchlike.
Diego and Seba have some gnarly previous, of course.
Former Manchester United midfielder Veron – the current Estudiantes president – played under Maradona for the Argentina national team between 2008 and 2010.
Yet the latter clearly has some unresolved (grass-fed) beef with ‘La Brujita’ over his part in the appointment of Gerardo Martino as national boss after the 2014 World Cup.
“Veron betrayed me, like he did with [Jose Luis Calderon at Estudiantes]. He acts like a bigshot director,” Maradona said at the time Gerry Martin got the job.
“I don’t want anything to do with him nor with his father, I won’t go anywhere with him.”
Things were peaceful enough for the first half at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday.
When 55-year-old Diego appeared to trip over Veron’s feet/dive in the first half, it was only a signpost for what lay in store.
A mouthing Maradona soon had to be pulled away from a scundered opponent 14 years his junior by former Brazil skipper Cafu and a legion of security guards as the players left the pitch at half-time.
”I don’t f*** you about, I tell you straight to your face, idiot,” growled Diego warmly (according to our lipreading experts) with Veron looking very much like a resigned man who just knew this sort of nutjobbery was going to happen long before it actually happened.
Diego, meanwhile, had already warmed up for his spat with Veron at a press conference two days prior to the game with a chop at Inter Milan’s Argentine striker Mauro Icardi over his well-publicised affair in 2013 with the wife of Maxi Lopez – Icardi’s compatriot and then Sampdoria team-mate.
“I don’t know if Icardi will be called up to the national team,” he said. “I don’t speak about traitors. I’m here in Rome for the ‘Match for Peace’ and Icardi has nothing to do with it.”
Outside accusations of betrayal and treachery, Maradona was on fire during the game, despite looking like he might need the defibrillator/ Last Rites/taxidermist at any given moment.
Two assists – one for a starstruck Francesco Totti – and a blatant handball which he got away with, believe it or not, showed that it’s hard to keep a good thing down.
“Peace out, El Papa. Sure gimme a shout for the next one,” the current Dubai sports ambassador (I swear to God) probably said after the worst ‘Match for Peace’ ever... before heading off to have another wee quiet word in Seba’s shell-like.
