Maradona flees quarter-final after VIP dispute

By Richard Allen Jul 1, 2006, 19:15 GMT

Berlin - He had become one of the images of the World Cup.

Shedding tears following Hernan Crespo's opening goal against Ivory Coast, hugging his daughter after each of the super six against Serbia and Montenegro and dropping his huge cigar as Maxi Rodriguez's wonderful winner eliminated Mexico in the last 16 versus, Diego Armando Maradona, dressed in 'albiceleste' and rotating a blue and white scarf high above his head, had seduced TV producers with his antics in the normally sedate VIP area.

But as Argentina faced their biggest challenge yet against hosts Germany and a partisan crowd of 72,000 in Berlin on Friday, Maradona was nowhere to be seen for his 39 million countrymen and the hundreds of millions more watching on TV sets across the world.

Argentina fell on penalties, but where was the great man who had appeared a picture of health after being grossly overweight and close to death just two years ago?

The answer, it turns out, was that he had been in the stadium for the start of the match but then returned to his hotel after a dispute.

Maradona left the Olympic stadium after about half an hour of the quarter-final. The Argentine had refused to take up his seat in the extensive VIP zone when one among his entourage was refused entry and instead found seats close by - though, apparently, out of camera shot. Back in the team's hotel - The Westin Grand - he watched the dramatic shoot-out puffing his Cuban cigar in the company of all his friends.

'Leaving the stadium was a decision taken by Maradona,' said FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler at a press conference on Saturday. 'Together with a Spanish TV channel with whom Maradona works, he receives four VIP tickets. Another person, who was not on the list, was refused permission because this person had repeatedly behaved in an unacceptable manner, almost becoming physically aggressive.

'If Maradona cannot accept that, we regret it. He himself is always welcome and we always have tickets for him - though sometimes it was difficult to manage. He has simply popped up but we have always found a solution for him.'

Twenty years and one day after Maradona's greatest moment, lifting the World Cup after a thrilling 3-2 win against Germany in Mexico, Argentines may well believe there was something more than luck not on their side this time.