KOLKATA: Nine years after his first visit to Kolkata, Argentine football legend Diego Maradona stepped in the football-crazy city along with his partner Rocio Oliva on a three-day visit to play a charity match against a team led by former Indian cricket team captain and Athletico de Kolkata co-owner Sourav Ganguly at Barasat in the city outskirts.
The Dubai-based Al Fujairah Sporting Club coach, clad in cap and blue t-shirt, was seen flashing victory signs and throwing flying kisses to his fans and supporters upon landing at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose international airport in Dumdum in northern Kolkata late on Sunday evening.
Maradona was scheduled on September 19 when he was supposed to inaugurate a Durga Puja in north Kolkata and unveil his statue installed by his fans. However, his trip got postponed due to personal issues.
While his supporters had lined the streets to welcome the 1986 World Cup winner during his first visit to Kolkata in 2008, his postponed visit in December 2017 saw few supporters welcoming him at the airport.
Maradona will meet cancer patients and will inaugurate his statue during the three-day trip.
“It is such an honour for me to be able to make this trip. Kolkata is a very special place and I have good memories from my trip there many years ago, the fans were fantastic. India is a very passionate football nation, and I look forward to meeting a whole new generation of fans while continuing to spread the overwhelming love that I have for this beautiful game,” he said.
While it is unclear whether 57-year-old Maradona would be able to play the entire charity football match against Sourav Ganguly’s team at Barasat on Tuesday due to his shoulder injury, his postponement of the previous date of the visit has led to many Tollywood stars having to give a miss to the charity match.