Killing Maradona

David Arrowsmith

£22.00

Maradona was football’s ultimate genius – a magician on the pitch whose talent rivalled only Pelé. But off the field, the boy from the barrios of Buenos Aires became entangled in a dark web of criminal influence and personal demons. From the Cali Cartel’s attempts to lure him into the drug trade, to the Camorra’s grip on his life in Naples; from clashes with the Italian government to Pablo Escobar’s sinister hospitality, Maradona’s life was a battleground far beyond football. Battling addiction, betrayal, and exploitation, Maradona’s story is one of genius corrupted – a man caught between adulation and self-destruction, whose medical neglect and FBI scrutiny culminated in a tragic end. Marking the 40th anniversary of Argentina’s legendary 1986 World Cup victory, ‘Killing Maradona’ is a searing investigation into the forces that destroyed football’s first ‘Golden Boy’.

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Publish Date: 21/05/2026

Description

Drugs, cartels, mafia, addiction, the FBI, and coercion – this is the untold story behind the tragic decline of football's most gifted and controversial legend.

Maradona was football's ultimate genius – a magician on the pitch whose talent rivalled only Pelé. But off the field, the boy from the barrios of Buenos Aires became entangled in a dark web of criminal influence and personal demons. From the Cali Cartel's attempts to lure him into the drug trade, to the Camorra's grip on his life in Naples; from clashes with the Italian government to Pablo Escobar's sinister hospitality, Maradona's life was a battleground far beyond football.

Battling addiction, betrayal, and exploitation, Maradona's story is one of genius corrupted – a man caught between adulation and self-destruction, whose medical neglect and FBI scrutiny culminated in a tragic end. Marking the 40th anniversary of Argentina's legendary 1986 World Cup victory, Killing Maradona is a searing investigation into the forces that destroyed football's first 'Golden Boy.'

Additional information

Weight 560 g
Dimensions 236 × 158 × 36 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Hardback

Pages

304

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

796.334092 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K