With the recent death of Diego Armando Maradona, his great achievements in the world of football have been relived again, with the World Cup in Mexico in 1986 as the great milestone in his career. Argentina was proclaimed champion with a stratospheric Maradona, who left two iconic goals in the history of this sport as ‘the hand of God’ and the play in which he left half of the English team to mark Shilton. It is said that Maradona won 'only' that World Cup, but among those present in the Albiceleste expedition was the current president and owner of Lorca Deportiva, Hugo Issa.
Issa was a defender who played more than 300 matches in his country, especially in Estudiantes de la Plata, before making the leap to Europe, specifically to Switzerland, Vevery United and CS Chênois, to hang up their boots there. Y one of his best memories is having been part of Maradona's Argentine generationSince he is currently 62 years old, two more than ‘El Pelusa’ was.
With the arrival of the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, Hugo Issa was initially selected by Bilardo, within a first group of summoned. But nevertheless, Of that pre-list of 30 players, finally the coach made a screening of 22 players, in which Issa could not enter. However, those not summoned, who therefore could not enjoy any minute, They continued to live with the expedition and accompany the campusso that they also make success their own.
His experience with Maradona and with the champion team
Hugo Omar Issa was one of the privileged to be able to enjoy Maradona a few meters away and even play with him on the same team. “I have played with him. I have shared part of training sessions and games. Part of a life “, commented a year ago to Onda Regional de Murcia, and added: “I played against him before coming to Napoli. I for Racing de Avellaneda and he for Argentinos Juniors, the club where he was formed “.
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For example, played a tournament in Calcutta (India), the Nehru Cup, which served as preparation for the World Cup in Mexico because they had only played eight games with Bilardo. A loss to China kept them from reaching the final. Maradona did not attend that tournament.
“Generationally we are from the same sports situation. Talking about Maradona, for me, and for Argentines in general, is the greatest thing we have ever seen. And, yes, he is a very good person. Then each one in their private life has their ups and downs. Being the number one player in the world in a sport as popular as football does not have to be very easy due to the pressure that one has to live, ”he told Cope Córdoba at the beginning of the season.
Relationship with the family and pending of their situation
Weeks before Maradona's death, in early November, Issa was interviewed again by Onda Regional de Murcia as a result of the operation to which ‘El Pelusa’ was subjected to the brain, and claimed to be aware of his health: “Both I and my son maintain a relationship with his family and one of his daughters. The situation is extremely careful and very delicate. You have to treat this with a lot of respect, and that Diego improves, which is the important thing. The rest is to wait ”.
Days later the tragedy would be known, to which The Lorca leader reacted on his social networks with an emotional message: “What to say, what to do …. I love football, I admired and I was moved by the greatest of all time. Argentina standing up … Gianina, Maradona family, my sincere wishes for strength in such a sad moment ”.
What to say, what to do …. I love football, I admired and I was moved with the greatest of all time.
Argentina standing … Gianina, Flia Maradona my sincere wishes for strength in such a sad moment. pic.twitter.com/5nJylQQljP– Hugo Issa (@HugoIssa) November 25, 2020
Both Hugo Issa and his son maintain a close relationship with one of their daughters, Gianinna Maradona. To the point that when they launched a contest to design goalkeeper jerseys for this season, the daughter of the legendary player put on his social networks proposal.
@giamaradona
His arrival, a blessing for Lorca Deportiva
The former Argentine player He set up his own representation company, Sport Management, after hanging up his boots, taking charge of more than 120 playersAmong those who stand out the Milito brothers when they were at Barcelona and Inter, Verón, ‘Kun’ Agüero, or the former player Lucas Lobos. Also, in 2016 he was in charge of running the sports area of the Argentinian Atlético de Rafaela, managing for example the signing of Axel Werner by Atlético de Madrid.
However, after a search in Switzerland, Belgium or Portugal to invest in a European club, it was in Porto that he was told the option of Lorca, an entity for which he finally opted last December 2019. So, I was in the Third Division and broke. The footballers had not been paid for four months, they went to train and play in their own cars, they trained with their own clothes, and despite everything they were at the top of the ranking. Two presidents had already had that campaign.
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“The language and the mother country have a lot to do with Argentines. Our first priority is to update the campus. We will do it before the end of the year “he said in his presentation. And so it was, he settled with his family in Lorca, updated the entire squad, professionalized the club, and above all, in the middle of a pandemic, achieved promotion to Second Division B.
A healthy club, with future projects, and also denounced
“We have given the club a 180 degree change and a professionalization. 15 people work for the club and are dedicated to making it work every day. Before we arrived they all wanted to leave here, today they want to stay and the players want to come because they know we don't owe anyone a euro “, he explained to laactualidad.com.
“Due to COVID-19 it is not possible now, but one of the legs of my project is the international part. Bring young people from different parts of the world to Lorca to participate on campus or clinics, that they know the city and consume in Lorca ”, he added, in addition to wanting a promotion to Second in the long term. And for now for this year, There are already five Argentine footballers in the squad.
Located at the bottom of the table and even forced to change technicians, Issa has work accumulating because has been denounced by Atlético Pulpileño, his rival in the final for promotion, for crimes against the safety of workers, disobedience, injuries and against public health. In the previous match there were almost no tests, and after the match two players tested positive, something that the RFEF decided not to sanction. After a lawsuit and an appeal, for now, Issa has already testified.