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Food For Thought: Is Maradona’s Lashing At The Media Critics Justified?
Argentina has qualified for the World Cup and the dream of many “critics” has fallen. Following the 1-0 victory over Uruguay, Diego Maradona blasted the scribes for all the criticism levied on him during the World Cup qualifying campaign. Goal.com ponders whether such a lashing had a reason to it or was just an emotional outburst...
15-Oct-2009 7:04:56 PM
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"It's (the win) going to all Argentineans, except the journalists," El Diego told a press conference.
"They [journalists] treat me like dirt, but we qualified with honour. I dedicate this to all of the Argentinean people and my family, but one sector does not deserve it [referring to journalists] because they treated me like garbage. They invented fights with [Carlos] Bilardo, among other things."
On the face of it, with Argentina having qualified for the footballing mega event in South Africa next year, Maradona’s comments makes sense as he was being held responsible for the disappointing results during the campaign with many believing that the South American giants would miss the flight to Africa. He did deliver the goods in the end, which is exactly the issue.
The vilification of Maradona wasn’t all wrong as well when you have a team boasting of the Messis, Tevezs, Juan Sebastian Verons, Diego Militos and many more, as one expects them to have qualified a lot earlier.
Love Lost
Due to an apparent disagreement between Maradona and Juan Riquelme, the Boca Juniors star announced his retirement. Thereafter a string of poor results against Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay followed, which saw the criticism grow stronger.
Several football personalities raised eyebrows over Maradona’s coaching abilities with Barcelona’s Seydou Keita going on to state that the Argentinean would be better off selling newspapers!
Very often, when a coach or a player reads such derogatory comments made in media, they consider that it’s the journalists who are to blame for writing such articles instead of realising that the reporters are compelled to write when a prominent personality makes a positive or negative statement.
Recently, I met a senior coach who asked me as to why I wrote certain stories where he was being shown in the negative light stating that there are bigger issues to think of. Yes Sir, but we are obliged to write. And if I don’t someone else will in a time where exclusives is what’s demanded of you in the job!
And yes, at times criticism is necessary as well or else you may consider yourselves all hunky dory! Another senior player mentioned in an informal chat that the responsibility of the media is to write what happened and not become experts.
“If I missed a goal, write that. Don’t say I could have done this or the coach could have done this,” said the player.
To analyse and explain things to the reader is also one of the responsibilities of the media. And if they just report what happened, it would just be a curry, without salt!
That Don't Impress Me
The Albicelestes won their final two qualifying games against Peru and Uruguay and none would hesitate to mention that they were far from spectacular and didn’t impress either. Maradona would take credit for his two super trump cards coming good in Martin Palermo and Mario Bolatti.
Yes, his reaction was an emotional outburst against all those who felt that he wasn’t the right man to lead Argentina. Fine! But to blame the media for it is...Err...
I have a problem with that!
Rahul Bali.
What do YOU think? Was Maradona right to point fingers at media?
"It's (the win) going to all Argentineans, except the journalists," El Diego told a press conference.
"They [journalists] treat me like dirt, but we qualified with honour. I dedicate this to all of the Argentinean people and my family, but one sector does not deserve it [referring to journalists] because they treated me like garbage. They invented fights with [Carlos] Bilardo, among other things."
On the face of it, with Argentina having qualified for the footballing mega event in South Africa next year, Maradona’s comments makes sense as he was being held responsible for the disappointing results during the campaign with many believing that the South American giants would miss the flight to Africa. He did deliver the goods in the end, which is exactly the issue.
The vilification of Maradona wasn’t all wrong as well when you have a team boasting of the Messis, Tevezs, Juan Sebastian Verons, Diego Militos and many more, as one expects them to have qualified a lot earlier.
Love Lost
Due to an apparent disagreement between Maradona and Juan Riquelme, the Boca Juniors star announced his retirement. Thereafter a string of poor results against Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay followed, which saw the criticism grow stronger.
Several football personalities raised eyebrows over Maradona’s coaching abilities with Barcelona’s Seydou Keita going on to state that the Argentinean would be better off selling newspapers!
Very often, when a coach or a player reads such derogatory comments made in media, they consider that it’s the journalists who are to blame for writing such articles instead of realising that the reporters are compelled to write when a prominent personality makes a positive or negative statement.
Recently, I met a senior coach who asked me as to why I wrote certain stories where he was being shown in the negative light stating that there are bigger issues to think of. Yes Sir, but we are obliged to write. And if I don’t someone else will in a time where exclusives is what’s demanded of you in the job!
And yes, at times criticism is necessary as well or else you may consider yourselves all hunky dory! Another senior player mentioned in an informal chat that the responsibility of the media is to write what happened and not become experts.
“If I missed a goal, write that. Don’t say I could have done this or the coach could have done this,” said the player.
To analyse and explain things to the reader is also one of the responsibilities of the media. And if they just report what happened, it would just be a curry, without salt!
That Don't Impress Me
The Albicelestes won their final two qualifying games against Peru and Uruguay and none would hesitate to mention that they were far from spectacular and didn’t impress either. Maradona would take credit for his two super trump cards coming good in Martin Palermo and Mario Bolatti.
Yes, his reaction was an emotional outburst against all those who felt that he wasn’t the right man to lead Argentina. Fine! But to blame the media for it is...Err...
I have a problem with that!
Rahul Bali.
What do YOU think? Was Maradona right to point fingers at media?
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