In a nonsensical statement that generated outrage, Fernando Signorini, former physical trainer of Diego Maradona, announced that he will not watch the World Cup matches being held in the United States “in tribute” to the author of the Hand of God. The delusional lefty once again positions himself as the guardian of Maradona's memory while ignoring other realities.
Signorini, who accompanied Maradona in Mexico '86, Italy '90, and even the 1994 World Cup in the United States, now poses as a political purist. He conveniently forgets that Diego himself played and shone, despite being taken off the field by a nurse, on American soil.
His “personal condemnation” sounds more like an ideological pose than coherence, while Maradona, according to those who truly knew him, would have supported the National Team without cheap excuses.
In his usual interventions, the trainer repeats the script: the football of the past was for the people, cultural and artistic; the current one is merely a business dominated by FIFA and money. He criticizes hyper-professionalism and globalization, but his career unfolded in the big clubs and national teams where “business” always reigned.
Maradona was an irreplaceable genius, but Signorini uses his closeness to the 10 to position himself as a moral authority. He distinguishes between “Diego” (the man) and “Maradona” (the icon), a convenient separation that allows him to defend what is convenient and distance himself from the controversial.
Regarding Messi, he speaks with apparent respect but always with the nuance that there is a lack of “effort management” or Maradonian mystique. It is the classic subtle comparison that, deep down, detracts from the brilliance of the new generations. While football evolves, generates millions, and produces global stars, Signorini seems anchored in the past, resisting change under the guise of “cultural criticism”.
