Paul Gascoigne and Diego Maradona, both of whom passed away at the age of 60, are widely regarded as two of the most brilliant footballers in the world. Maradona, in particular, is often considered the unequivocal number one of all time. Gascoigne, on the other hand, is still hailed as one of England’s greatest talents to have graced the sport. However, as dazzling as their performances on the field were, they were equally troubled off it.
In 1992, Gascoigne left Tottenham to join Lazio, but his three-year stint at the “Olimpico” was plagued by injuries, ongoing battles with weight gain, and prolonged alcohol-related incidents. Diego Maradona, too, faced similar troubles. In that same year, the Argentine genius signed with Sevilla following a 15-month ban for cocaine use, putting an end to his exceptional period at Napoli (1984-1991).
In November 1992, Sevilla faced Lazio in a highly anticipated friendly match at the “Sanchez Pizjuan” stadium, which drew global attention due to the meeting of these two footballing bad boys. However, neither Diego nor Gazza were in their best form. Recounting the memories nearly three decades later, Paul Gascoigne shares his encounter with Maradona.
“We had a match against his team, Sevilla, but on the way there, I indulged in a three-day drinking spree at Paris’ Disneyland. As we were about to step onto the field, I confessed to him that I was hungover, to which he responded, ‘Don’t worry, Gazza. So am I.'”
The match at “Sanchez Pizjuan” ended in a 1-1 draw, with Gascoigne scoring the equalizing goal for Lazio. However, the English legend struggled to adapt to Serie A and left the team in 1995, eventually joining Rangers. The following year, during the European Championship hosted by England, Gascoigne scored one of his most remarkable goals in a match against Scotland during the group stage. England reached the semi-finals but was eliminated in a dramatic penalty shootout against the eventual champions, Germany.
This period marked the beginning of the end for the virtuoso from Gateshead, who later played for Middlesbrough, Everton, and Burnley before joining a second division team in China that no longer exists.
At the age of 33, Gascoigne was officially diagnosed with alcoholism for the first time. Now at 53, he remains physically weak and unstable. Nevertheless, he is always ready to share amusing anecdotes, such as the one involving Diego in the tunnel of “Pizjuan.”
Their vices were no secret to anyone, just as their footballing abilities were nothing short of magical.
