The 700 days of a legend: like this it was the step of Maradona by the Barça

Lionel Messi was not the first superestrella Argentinian that dressed the T-shirt of the FC Barcelona. When Leo had hardly five years and there was not the minimum suspicion that it went to turn into the best player of the history, Diego Armando Maradona landed in Spain to turn into blaugrana. The fight by the 'Lint', the one who already was an idol of the football, was not simple for the Barça, but finished arriving to the old continent to ensure him to his name a place between the most important footballers of the history.

The death of Maradona to his 60 years has revolved to the world of the sport and has left a big empty in the hearts of the fanatical of the football. The Argentinian stepped strong and his legacy will go of generation in generation, as it has done it up to now. In concrete, his go through the Barcelona, by two seasons, went a very important stage for the one of Lanús, but also for the club.

In the summer of 1982, the Barcelona oficializó the signing of Diego Armando Maradona. The intention of the blaugranas of ficharle had his start years before, by means of the figure of the then vice-president of the club, Nicolaus Casaus. In fact, one of the first trips of the mandator was to his country of origin, Argentina, and always showed his win to carry to the best player of the period to the Camp Nou.

It was the friendship between Casaus and Maradona what opened him the way to the Barça for ficharle, but was not a simple task. First, with 17 years, the club thought that they did not have to bet by him. Afterwards, they went the financial demands and a lot of reticencias by part of the Argentinian Federation of Football (that it did not want to see him split to Europe). After a lot of insistence and persistence, after the Glass of the World of 1982, celebrated in Spain, Diego turned into player of the Barcelona.

The club paid 1.200 million pesetas (7.2 million euros) and turned into a traspaso record for the period. Of this money, two thirds were for Argentina Juniors and the another third to Mouth, roughly. His official debut produced in September of 1982, in front of Valencia, in the defeat 2-1 of the Barcelona picture. This same night premièred like goleador. His growth was to steps of giants. In the first 13 clashes, marked six so many and already enamoraba to all the Camp Nou, less to his trainer, Udo Lattek, with the one who kept, if it wants , an a bit distant relation.

An illness truncated his development

His first season like blaugrana was very ilusionante and outlined turn into one of the big of the Barça, but saw truncated in December of 1982, when they diagnosed him hepatitis. His absence in the terrain of game cost him the elimination to the Barça of the Glass of Europe, what later ocasionó the dismissal of the trainer, Lattek, to the one who had replaced by the Argentinian that had guided to his selection to the success of the World-wide of 1978, César Luis Menotti, 'The Lean'.

Diego reappeared with the elastic blaugrana on 12 March 1983 in front of the Betis, the same day in which Menotti premièred like trainer of the Barça. However, for misfortune of Maradona, the bad beginning of season of the Barcelona in League conditioned the rest of the year, in that the finished in the fourth position. In spite of this, the Argentinian finished with 11 goals in 20 meetings.

The paper of Maradona with Menotti was spectacular and extremely notable. The Argentinian was one of the 'fixed' of his trainer and key in all the parties, but an injury went back to condition his go through the City Condal. It was it went by a few months, until January of 1984, with his future in the air. At the end of his stage like culé, registered 38 goals in 58 official parties. It won a Glass of Rey, the Glass of the League and the Supercopa of 1983.

A regrettable exit

Maradona Finished his stage in the sad Barcelona and disillusioned by his life in Spain and with the Barcelona Managerial Board and saw the change of destination to Italy, to dress the T-shirt of the Napoli, like an excellent opportunity to renew like footballer, go out of the deadlock that lived his career and obtain more income. And it go that it achieved it.

However, in spite of the controversial that could become his exit, turned into one of the protagonists of the stay of Leo Messi in the Camp Nou and, during all the years, supported and motivated to 'his successor' to give the best of yes with the T-shirt of the Barcelona.