ANKARA
Football players, coaches, and fans on Thursday commemorated Argentine legend Diego Armando Maradona on the first anniversary of his untimely passing last year.
His former clubs Boca Juniors, Barcelona, and Napoli paid tribute to Maradona on social media, as the 1986 FIFA World Cup winner died of heart failure on Nov. 25, 2020.
He was 60.
"You never left. You are in the heart of every fan," Boca Juniors said on Twitter, putting a popular #DiegoEterno hashtag and a video of his tiems with the Boca Juniors team.
"Eterno," means forever.
"One year without you. The world of football misses you, Diego," Barcelona said on Twitter and shared a photo of Maradona in the club jersey.
The Spanish top-tier division La Liga also posted a video on social media showcasing Maradona's goals and football skills in the league.
Napoli, an Italian Serie A club, also tweeted to commemorate their ex-star.
Napoli said they love Diego, hailing him as "The God of Football." The club also shared several wallpapers for Napoli fans.
Separately, Serie A said on Twitter that a full year has passed without Maradona.
Iconic figure
The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) thanked Maradona for his contributions to the game.
"Thanks Diego for everything you left us! One year after your departure, we remember all your extraordinary talent, magic, and leadership.
Football thanks you for your enormous legacy and all that you have accomplished," the federation said on social media.
Maradona was a versatile player on the pitch who could play in various positions for the offense.
Like his compatriot Lionel Messi, Maradona was known for his pace, highly skilled technique, and dribbling skills.
One of the iconic football figures of all time, Maradona, then just 25, was the Argentina captain when he helped his nation win the 1986 World Cup.
Maradona played for Boca Juniors, Barcelona, and Napoli to lift nine club trophies.
The Argentine national was a beloved Napoli player, as he helped them win the 1987 and 1990 Italian Serie A titles as well as the 1989 UEFA Cup.
Following his death, Napoli's San Paolo Stadium was renamed the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
At some Serie A matches in November, Napoli players wore a special kit dedicated to Maradona featuring a massive fingerprint design over a Maradona silhouette.
An artist created the pattern to refer to the eternal imprint the Argentine great made on Naples' culture and the game as a player.
Maradona was a remarkable player, but as a manager, things did not go as well.
He was a head coach for the Argentine national team for the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa.
Argentina hired Maradona in 2008 to manage the national team for the 2010 World Cup finals, but his effort fell short.
Maradona's men were eliminated in the quarterfinals in a shocking 4-0 loss to Germany in Cape Town, South Africa.
