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![Al-Wasl club's Argentinian head coach Diego Maradona stands with his son in law, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, and his grandson Benjamin at the end of a Gulf Cooperation Council Champions League football match between Al-Wasl and Al-Wehda clubs in Dubai on May 15, 2012. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/P4DA2DLNJ63BVL4MD65AL2IDG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=ad325436422c344d82a56b3ce5a1cddd9a6bc02f5550889edfe014428f93ef11&width=400&height=225)
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![Diego Maradona shows his disappointment after Wasl lost the penalty shoot-out 5-4. Mike Young / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/442UYJRPHOXS7DOX3ZCJAWFY34.jpg?smart=true&auth=be050303b293e9962dafe5cdb749b755c86d9fc19bd778834e75d260c8cc897e&width=400&height=225)
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![Diego Maradona at Fujairah in 2017/18 season. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/G3C2GSCZXEFS3LJZKMNSS2FNMM.jpg?smart=true&auth=ca838884f38c8044079655a3b67489ddaea36a077eeb5d26687026b486a44476&width=400&height=225)
![Diego Maradona during the 2017/18 season. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TBXU5N3XDO5D22RPXVUMEXYPNE.jpg?smart=true&auth=22b6f4a382d3355873566679b827b0885a44f536f85210d88385db204aded80d&width=400&height=225)
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![Diego Maradona comforts Mohamed Khalfan after a match against Khorfakkan. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PRSHU5J76ERZC2AGV72V4DEY54.jpg?smart=true&auth=4153ec40da87b295d3728f7f74dfbf79a507899900abe182c593f8c1a2998266&width=400&height=225)
![Diego Maradona, left, is hoisted in the air by Fujairah team manager Yousuf Abdullah after seeing his side take the lead against Al Orouba. Christopher Pike / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KPHT2FP7MWHMRCBRX42ZZHC4EI.jpg?smart=true&auth=5f6e5f99db9db66db11b01984b63cda6fd501f58725446dc2a5756de52f9d77b&width=400&height=225)
![Diego Maradona poses alongside the Fujairah logo following his appointment as manager in May. Courtesy Fujairah Football Club](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2YMKZLUSGCEKH6CHNVM2VSAEIA.jpg?smart=true&auth=ba62cfb63bbae7c725085920f42d45bbe3abddfe41a412c7549040e9b0c66db9&width=400&height=225)
![Late Argentinian football legend and the then Al-Wasl team coach, Diego Maradona, cutting a cake during a celebration marking his 51st birthday in Dubai, on October 30, 2011. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/33Y376PD6XH2NTUDPVKFFVUMFI.jpg?smart=true&auth=922b5bcf7a73a1aa91b92460fbe7960a69d30dab33123996191f7b6439254224&width=400&height=225)
![Al-Wasl club's Argentinian head coach Diego Maradona stands with his son in law, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, and his grandson Benjamin at the end of a Gulf Cooperation Council Champions League football match between Al-Wasl and Al-Wehda clubs in Dubai on May 15, 2012. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/P4DA2DLNJ63BVL4MD65AL2IDG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=ad325436422c344d82a56b3ce5a1cddd9a6bc02f5550889edfe014428f93ef11&width=400&height=225)
![Argentine football legend Diego Maradona gestures with officials of the United Arab Emirates al-Wasel football club following a press conference in Dubai, June 04, 2011. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YHYXVJ4GSFVA6BAS24F4MN4OBQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=e4e6f501aac8bea200aa701c8325f739c1061e1e57c9e2a1946190039a2a218e&width=400&height=225)
![Argentine football legend Diego Maradona looks at his new shirt with Marwan Bin Bayat, chairman of the Emirati al-Wasl Football Company, during a press conference in Dubai, on September 11, 2011. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YGX24WDAV5DFTNZBL2ATAVBZJU.jpg?smart=true&auth=eb89ad5368b66993dae41d959923133856a3aa308752ebaf2fc7de04d54b342b&width=400&height=225)
![Diego Maradona shows his disappointment after Wasl lost the penalty shoot-out 5-4. Mike Young / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/442UYJRPHOXS7DOX3ZCJAWFY34.jpg?smart=true&auth=be050303b293e9962dafe5cdb749b755c86d9fc19bd778834e75d260c8cc897e&width=400&height=225)
![Diego Maradona during his spell at Al Wasl. Ravindranath K / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MH5M7QU2DZMMJ3Z7NKGCBFJLBQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=de76a20a0b8b232cb641cff7aadec377ec2f6081568ee600d1baba63dd5b3836&width=400&height=225)
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![Diego Maradona, left, is hoisted in the air by Fujairah team manager Yousuf Abdullah after seeing his side take the lead against Al Orouba. Christopher Pike / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KPHT2FP7MWHMRCBRX42ZZHC4EI.jpg?smart=true&auth=5f6e5f99db9db66db11b01984b63cda6fd501f58725446dc2a5756de52f9d77b&width=400&height=225)
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Memories of Maradona: the day a sporting hero joined Fujairah
The World Cup winner was met with a wave of excitement when he took up a management role in the emirate in 2017
![Chris Maxwell](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2Ff005eeee-1b9f-4651-83b9-f3855d004515.png?smart=true&auth=f6a61a561eb0ef8bc7a84f6756d3bcaa782e65b739bc29938e397a7db5b60611&width=70&height=70)
Chris Maxwell
November 26, 2020
- Listen In English
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November 26, 2020