Until nineteen ninety fiveMagazine France Football –the creative publication of the Golden Ball –It was the norm to reward only European footballers–. That’s how he decided Gabriel Hanot, then director of the French magazine. Therefore, during the time when Diego Maradona dominated football worldwide (1986, 1987 and 1990, to name a few years), the recognition went to other players.
As a counterpart, Maradona They recognized him as the “best player of the 1986 FIFA World Cup” ahead of the German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher and the Danish striker Preben Elkjaer Larsen. That year, when Argentina became world champion, the “Ten” received a Golden Ball special.
Unfortunately, three years later, on October 26, 1989, the prize was stolen from the Banco della Provincia of Naples where it was stored. A group of thieves also took a large amount of valuable objects, including several luxury watches.
Diego I gave a lot of importance to that Golden Ball. Such was his affection for the award that he moved contacts in the Neapolitan mafia to help him recover it. This is how it was recognized Salvatore Lo Russoone of the leaders, to the DDA prosecutors of Naples (Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate) Sergio Amato and Enrica Parascandolo in 2010 after his arrest.
Beyond this bad drink, Diego Maradona received in nineteen ninety five a Honorary Ballon d’Or that France Football He gave it to him as recognition for his best years, in which an absurd rule deprived him of being awarded on several occasions.
But fate took it away from him again. In July 2014the house where his father Don Diego lived in Villa Devoto suffered a fire and among the most affected material assets was the prize.
The particular twist in the story of Maradona’s stolen Ballon d’Or: it was found and will be auctioned
The trophy that was lost for over 35 years It was found, almost by chance, by a collector who is now putting it up for sale.
In 2016 a Franco-Algerian collector, Abdelhamid B, bought it without really knowing what it was. According to local media, she purchased a box containing other prizes in the store for a few hundred euros. auction house Drouot-Montmartrea palace where unsold goods end up.
Many years passed before the collector discovered that it was the Golden Ball of Diego Armando Maradona. To confirm the authenticity, two expert reports were carried out based on two small defects in the drawings of the ball.
Since the date of the robbery in 1989, trace of the prize had been lost. The myth said that it had been melted to make gold ingots, but this theory lost credibility when it was discovered that the award was not made of solid gold but of brass.
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Then, On April 2, its authenticity was confirmedthe news being published this May 6 by the French media L’Equipe.
After this series of steps, the trophy will be auctioned on June 6, 2024 in Aguttesa specialized house located in Parisdespite the refusal of the heirs of Maradona. It is estimated that its price will be between 12 and 15 million euros.
The trophy weighs four kilos, has some scratches and does not have the identification plate, according to the auction house on its official website.
The curious thing is that, even though the trophy was initially stolen, French law considers the collector as the legitimate owner, so the proceeds from the auction will not go to the family. Maradonabut to the Franco-Algerian businessman.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
