When Maria Ines Altair heard about the catastrophe, she was just in the kitchen. The television was on and suddenly the program was interrupted Breaking news . Maradona is dead. Altair puts on another one right away, trembling fingers, in the other hand she holds her handkerchief tightly in her grip. You have to hold on to something in such times. It is now shortly after 4 pm and Altair is standing on the
street a few blocks away from 4besnews her house in La Paternal, a quiet neighborhood in the west of Buenos Aires. Two-story houses, car repair shops, narrow supermarkets and, of course, just one street away in the Villa General Mitre neighborhood, the “Diego Armando Maradona” stadium, home of the first division Argentinos Juniors, but also the home of Maradona. At least that’s what it says on the posters they stuck on the walls here: “Paternal, Tierra de Dios” – meaning “Paternal, Land of God” – whereby they didn’t write Dios with i and o, but with 1 and 0, D10S, just like the 10 on Maradona’s back. He looks proudly from a huge mural a few meters away, candles are burning in front of it, flowers are lying on the floor and jerseys. Consecrations for one who was already immortal before he even died.Maradona became a world star, Diego, D10S. But now he is dead, died of a heart attack, only a few weeks after his 60th birthday.
Maradona’s death has put Argentina in a state of shock
Of course, death was not entirely surprising, says Altair. F9news Maradona had been ill for a long time, sometimes even half dead. Again and again he was in hospital, the last time only a few weeks ago because of a surgery on his head. “Nevertheless,” says Altair and shakes his head. In fact, the news of Diego Maradona’s death has put Argentina in a state of shock. But for the Argentineans he was more. They camped in front of his house when he was sick, had his portrait tattooed, dedicated songs and stadiums to him, or even prayed to him for fun, of course, but at the same time Maradona was always a serious matter. And so now the current traffic situation no longer appears on the digital display boards that can be found everywhere in Buenos Aires. Instead: “Gracias Diego”, thanks Diego. For what, that’s up to everyone to decide for themselves. Jerseys and Argentinean flags hang from windows and balconies in the city, the TV channels have been broadcasting special programs for hours, and the radio plays songs like “Capitan Pelusa” by Los Cafres: “Your fans don’t doubt you, they don’t get angry and wait for you. In the center of Buenos Aires, it is said that after the news of Maradona’s death, office workers ran into the street as if an earthquake had just shaken the country. Spontaneously, small altars were built everywhere, in front of the “Diego Armando Maradona” stadium as well as in the Bombonera, where the Boca Juniors play. Actually, a match against International Porto Alegre in Brazil was scheduled for today. But the game was postponed. Who can think of soccer when Diego Maradona dies?
