The Hindu : Sport : Now, Maradona as talk show host

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Now, Maradona as talk show host

BUENOS AIRES: Diego Maradona headed a ball with fellow soccer legend Pele as his top guest, hobnobbed with movie stars and entertainers and made a splashy debut as a TV talk show host.

Pele, whom Brazilians claim is the greatest soccer player of all times, strummed a song on a guitar and Maradona, who is claimed by Argentines as the greatest in the sport, sang the lyrics to a tango amid flashing strobe lights and the applause of a raucous studio audience.

Welcome to Argentine prime time and Maradona's debut on Monday night as a weekly television variety show host on a local network. "To those of you who have cheered on my goals, I thank you from the bottom of my heart," Maradona declared, tears welling in his eyes.

Called "La Noche del 10" — Spanish for "The Night of 10" in reference to Maradona's famed No. 10 soccer jersey — Monday night's premiere by the retired soccer great also featured appearances by former Argentine tennis star Gabriela Sabatini and Italian actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta — famed for the 1994 film Il Postino (The Postman).

During two hours of air time interspersed with interviews, commercials and stunts, Maradona and Sabatini managed to play a kind of soccer-tennis match on a miniature synthetic court against a team made up of a local actor and Gabriel Batistuta, the leading Argentine national team scorer of all times. Maradona also read fan letters and gave a master class in kicking a goal to select admirers, all women.

"For me it's a proud moment to be here today," saidPele, the Brazilian star who is the stuff of legend. — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport