October 30 is a special date for Argentine football, as every year fans take a moment to remember Diego Armando Maradona. The Argentine star, who would’ve turned 66 this Friday, passed away on November 25, 2020. If he were still around, the biggest celebration would’ve taken place this Sunday, as Boca Juniors takes on River Plate at La Bombonera.

A lifelong Boca fan, Maradona played for his beloved club twice in his career, first between 1981 and ‘82, and then at the twilight of his playing days from 1995 to ‘97. As fate would have it, El Diez’s final game in his career was a Superclásico appearance at the Monumental stadium.

That game, a 2-1 win for the Xeneize filled with legendary symbolism, turned 29 last Sunday, and we couldn’t think of a better time to look back on it.

A farewell that hung by a thread

The match almost didn’t happen.

On August 24, 1997, Maradona tested positive for benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester, metabolites of cocaine.

Suspended by the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Maradona went to court, citing a police report he filed in July claiming he had received phone calls threatening to plant drugs on him. 

Judge Claudio Bonadío confirmed those threats and issued an injunction ordering the AFA to lift the provisional suspension at the behest of the start, until further testing was completed. This allowed Maradona to feature in the game.

The controversy had its........

© Buenos Aires Herald