Diego Maradona has named fellow Argentine, Alfredo Di Stefano, as the greatest footballer in history, overlooking compatriot Lionel Messi and Brazilian legend Pele.
And, while the head coach of Gimnasia de La Plata does feel that he has achieved enough to be in the conversation, Maradona stated that he feels a different South American tops the chart for the best of all time, accusing Pele of turning a blind eye to Di Stefano's undeniable quality.
“I think the best was Di Stefano,” Maradona told TyC Sports' Libero. “He was superior to everyone – even me.
“Pele didn't want to recognise Di Stefano's talents. Pele's friends invented a trophy especially for him for being a living legend of football. I even beat Pele in Rio for being the best in history!”
Like all elite footballers, Maradona played against some of the most talented players of his era and was asked to name the best shirt he swapped with another player and the team-mate he found was the easiest to play alongside.
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“The best shirts I swapped were with Gullit and Van Basten when they were at AC Milan,” he said. “The player who I connected best with was [former Napoli striker] Careca.”
This article was most recently revised and updated 5 years ago
