'Con el brazo guerrillero'. Images of Maradona on Argentinean and Italian supporters banners

ANTONIO DONATO; EDUARDO GALAK; LORENZO PEDRINI

Seminario; Official heroes and contested guerrillas The role models of football fans? patriotism; 2022

When Diego Armando Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020, one of the songs dedicated to him was heard more than others along the Argentina streets: "Para verte gambetear" - by the tango quartet "La Guardia Hereje". With great sensitivity, this chant describes Maradona’s rollercoasting life, his ups and downs, his political reading, his guerrilla arm, his contradictions as a human being.In this proposal, we purport to analyze the representations of Maradona in popular culture, focusing precisely on flags and banners of football fans based in Argentina and Italy.Among several Argentinian fans, the "hinchas" that use his face shows him as a demigod. Likewise Jesus, God (D10S), Pope Francis, with the Messias (his successor, Messi), or surrounded by a special aura, the images elevate Maradona to a popular hero. The use of Maradona’s image is particularly associated with his time as a player in 1986, young and rebellious, in the instances before becoming world champion with the national team.In Italy, the use of Maradona’s image is especially linked to Napoli - the club and the city - where he played between 1984 and 1992. Among the Napoli supporters, the usage of Maradona’s image instead relates with the golden age of the club; Serie A winner in 1986-1987 and 1989-1990 seasons, as well as UEFA Cup winner in 1988-1989. Our overall thesis is that, in both contexts, Mardona’s image gives expression to a deep community of feelings, representing the redeeming of the weakest. Maradona epitomizes the subversion of the established order, the everlasting need to struggle against the system for all those who live in subalternity.