The Maradona jersey auction case has finally settled. Sotheby's auction house recently auctioned the jersey that Maradona used to score the "Hand of God" and the goal of the century in the second half of the 1986 World Cup against England. The transaction price was 7.1425 million pounds (approximately RMB 60 million), which once again set a record in the history of football collectibles. The person who bought the jersey has not been announced.
The previous auction record for sportswear was a jersey worn by Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees, which sold for $5.64 million (£4.31 million) in 2019.
The jersey was once questioned by Lao Ma's daughter.
This jersey originally belonged to former England player Hodge. He exchanged jerseys with Lao Ma after that game, so he got this precious jersey. He had not considered selling the jersey for more than 20 years and only recently made up his mind to put it up for auction. Due to its precious value, the starting price of the jersey is as high as 4 million pounds (approximately RMB 33 million).
In the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals in Mexico, when Argentina defeated England 2-1, soccer king Maradona scored his first goal by hitting the ball into England's goal with his hand. His explanation was "from Maradona’s head, a little bit from the hand of God”. Lao Ma's second goal was even more classic. He passed through several English defenders from the midfield and scored the goal, which was rated as the goal of the century by FIFA.
Maradona's "Hand of God" goal
Maradona's "Goal of the Century"
It has been rented to the English Football Museum in Manchester for display for the past 20 years. Wachter, Sotheby's head of modern collections, said that the jersey had also been restored to a certain extent in order to better achieve the ideal price of more than 4 million pounds. The Argentine Football Association logo was sewn and patched, and the number 10 on the back was ironed and smoothed.
Sotheby's describes the blue No. 10 jersey on its website as being in "overall good condition, consistent with heavy use, perspiration, and athletic activity." "The bottom front hem of the shirt is slightly untied and the entire jersey is There are small spots”.
There have been many versions regarding the authenticity of the jersey. Maradona's eldest daughter Dalma said that it was the jersey her father wore in the first half, not the jersey he wore when he scored twice in the second half. Dalma revealed that this was what her father told her personally, "How could I give the most important jersey in my life to someone else?"
In the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, many games started at noon or in the afternoon, and the local weather was hot. Argentina plays England, the game starts at 12 noon. The England team's jersey is white, and Argentina's No. 1 jersey with blue and white sword strips is a bit in conflict with it. The Argentina team's No. 2 blue jersey is made of cotton, which is too thick and not breathable. Therefore, the Argentina team temporarily bought a light and breathable blue jersey in Mexico and wore it against England. This jersey does not have the Argentine Football Association emblem on the chest, so it is hand-embroidered by the Argentine Football Association staff. A total of 40 jerseys were purchased at that time. Since the goalkeeper did not need them, each of the 20 players of the Argentine team had two jerseys, and Maradona also had two jerseys. Because it is hand-embroidered, the Argentina Football Association emblem on the jersey is slightly different.
Sotheby's auction house hired a professional image analysis company to compare the auctioned jerseys with game photos from the time, including details such as patches, stripes, numbers, etc., to confirm the identity of the jerseys. A spokesman for Sotheby's auction house also said that the jersey has been on display at the National Football Museum in England for the past 20 years. "Countless people have visited this jersey and no one has ever questioned its authenticity." However, this is not For the first time, the authenticity of an auctioned jersey was questioned. In 2018, a jersey claimed to be worn by Zidane in the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil was auctioned. However, after some doubts, the jersey was quickly removed from the shelves. .
The Argentine Football Association wanted to interrupt the auction
Maradona seemed to indirectly support the authenticity of this jersey in his autobiography "My World Cup". In his autobiography, he described himself and England player Steve The details of Hodge's jersey exchange, "On the way back to the locker room, an England player came over to exchange jerseys with me. I later found out that this guy's name was Hodge. I said yes, and then we exchanged jerseys. "
Maradona's ex-wife Claudia Villafañe said, "Diego will never allow such an auction, whether it is the first or second half jersey of the former (England team) player. "Do, it's sad."
Hodge said in an interview, "I am very proud to have this jersey for such a long time, and it makes me feel very proud to have competed with one of the greatest athletes in the world. It's an honor. It has been on display at the National Football Museum for the past 20 years and I am delighted to be able to share this jersey with everyone. It has a profound meaning for all football fans, the people of Argentina and the people of England. Cultural significance, I believe its new owner will be extremely proud to own this jersey."
Hodge got Maradona's jersey
When Hodge made the decision to auction the jersey, the Argentine Football Association contacted Hodge. Strange, I hope he will not sell this historic jersey. Argentina has also sent a delegation to the UK, hoping to bring this jersey back to the Maradona Museum in Buenos Aires, but it is not yet available. Be clear about whether there is agreement between them on the matter.
An Argentinian Internet celebrity named Santiago Maratea launched a crowdfunding campaign, hoping to raise enough money to buy back the "Hand of God" jersey. In an interview with Argentina's TyC Sports TV station, Santiago Maratea said: "If we get 10 million US dollars, we can easily buy it. To get this money, 1 million people have to donate 2,000 US dollars each. Pesos." But in the end, the crowdfunding came to nothing.
Hodge's jersey was finally successfully auctioned for 7,142,500 pounds. Sotheby's auction house refused to disclose the final buyer information, but they said that this lot set a new transaction price record for sports memorabilia.
Red Star News reporter Hu Minjuan
