Confusion reigns regarding the impending sale of a Diego Maradona shirt, with the Argentine’s family claiming that a jersey expected to fetch £4 million ($5m) at auction is not the one in which an all-time great scored his famous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England at the 1986 World Cup.
Steve Hodge was the fortunate Three Lions star to swap shirts with a mercurial talent at the end of a quarter-final encounter in which he also netted what many consider to be the finest individual effort ever recorded.
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Said memento is now set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s, but Maradona’s daughter, Dalma, and his ex-wife, Claudia Villafane, have suggested that the shirt worn by a legendary figure during the second-half of an iconic fixture in Mexico is actually in the possession of somebody else.
What has been said?
Dalma Maradona has said: “It’s not the shirt my father wore in the second half.
“I’m sure Hodge doesn’t have it, and I know who does. I don’t want to say who has it, because that’s crazy.”
Villafane added: “It’s our word against that ex-player’s. I don’t think he needs the money either, unless he auctions it off for a good cause.
“It would be good if the Argentine Football Association bought it.”
What has Hodge said?
Former Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and Aston Villa midfielder Hodge was among those to be left trailing in Maradona’s wake as he single-handedly guided Argentina towards World Cup glory in 1986, but he did get close enough to him afterwards to claim a prized jersey.
He has said of auctioning the shirt off: “I have been the proud owner of this item for over 35 years, since Diego and I swapped shirts in the tunnel after the famed match.
“It was an absolute privilege to have played against one of the greatest and most magnificent football players of all time.
“It has also been a pleasure to share it with the public over the last 20 years at the National Football Museum, where it has been on display.
“The ‘Hand of God’ shirt has deep cultural meaning to the football world, the people of Argentina, and the people of England, and I’m certain that the new owner will have immense pride in owning the world’s most iconic football shirt.”
The current world record when it comes to the sale of a match shirt stands at $5.6m (£4.3m), with a New York Yankees jersey worn by Babe Ruth going for that amount in 2019.
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