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Killing Maradona
How cocaine, the Camora, cartels and crime corrupted football's greatest talent
Brief Description
Drugs, cartels, mafia, addiction, the FBI, and coercion - this is the untold story behind the tragic decline of football's most gifted and controversial legend. Maradona was football's ultimate genius - a magician on the pitch whose talent rivalled only Pele. But off the field, the...
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Drugs, cartels, mafia, addiction, the FBI, and coercion... this is a detailed look at the darkness that consumed the world's most naturally talented footballer.
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Description
Drugs, cartels, mafia, addiction, the FBI, and coercion - this is the untold story behind the tragic decline of football's most gifted and controversial legend.
Maradona was football's ultimate genius - a magician on the pitch whose talent rivalled only Pele. But off the field, the boy from the barrios of Buenos Aires became entangled in a dark web of criminal influence and personal demons.
From the Cali Cartel's attempts to lure him into the drug trade, to the Camorra's grip on his life in Naples; from clashes with the Italian government to Pablo Escobar's sinister hospitality, Maradona's life was a battleground far beyond football.
Battling addiction, betrayal, and exploitation, Maradona's story is one of genius corrupted - a man caught between adulation and self-destruction, whose medical neglect and FBI scrutiny culminated in a tragic end.
Marking the 40th anniversary of Argentina's legendary 1986 World Cup victory, Killing Maradona is a searing investigation into the forces that destroyed football's first 'Golden Boy.'
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781788406161
Publisher: Octopus Publishing Group
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 21 May 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Cassell
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 336
About the Author
David Arrowsmith was the Director of Development at leading UK factual TV producer Zig Zag Productions. He has worked in television for over 20 years - developing unscripted ideas and acting as Executive Producer on key projects for companies such as October Films, DSP, Channel 5, Granada Television, and the BBC. He is passionate about history, and just some of his key commissions include '1966: Who Stole the World Cup?', 'Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty', '8 Days That Made Rome', and 'Adolf & Eva: Love & War'. He was also involved in the development of the award-winning, Nobel Peace Prize-nominated documentary 'Sri Lanka's Killing Fields'.
David was born and raised in London but is proudly half-Colombian. In fact, he is the great-grandson of a former president and directly descended from four more. He has played football for over 35 years and has no plans to stop just yet.Also by David Arrowsmith
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