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Jocks and Maradona made for each other

10:10am Friday 21st November 2008

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Diego Maradona has one of those faces.

One of those faces you could never get tired of punching… Two decades on and he still shows no iota of shame about the goal he punched in against England. Instead, the guy absolutely revels in the infamy – and found a predictably fawning audience north of the border.

With none of their own success to brag about, the Scottish football public instead hail the Hand of God moment as their finest in World Cup history. Says it all, really.

Maradona (pictured) was treated like a king when he swanned into Hampden Park this week for his first game as boss of Argentina – a role that will surely last about as long as Joey Barton’s new leaf.

Not that many were bothered to turn out for his so-called coronation, with the ground looking half empty.

Terry Butcher was there and kept to his word by refusing to shake the hand that cheated him out of World Cup glory in 1986. Good on him.

“Who is Terry Butcher?” was Maradona’s poker-faced reply when asked if the pair had pressed the flesh before kick-off. He was enjoying playing to the audience.

His job will almost certainly end in tears. Maybe Maradona should try taking on Scotland next. They do seem made for each other.


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