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Argentina: Memories of the 1982 World Cup and the Conflict between Maradona and Passarella
It has been almost 36 years since Argentina's national team became champions of the World Cup. Argentinian fans still remember with nostalgia the team led by coach Carlos Salvador Bilardo, including players like Diego Maradona and Daniel Passarella.
Others also recall the strained relationship between Maradona and Passarella. One of the reasons was the captain's armband. Bilardo decided that Maradona should wear it instead of Passarella, who had been the captain in the 1982 World Cup under coach César Menotti.
Regarding this issue, Óscar Ruggeri, who was part of that team, gave his version and provided details of how the two characters got along. "They had their differences because of their personalities. Don't forget that Maradona had just become world champion for Argentina for the first time, and he was also a great player," said Ruggeri.
Ruggeri also confessed that there was no evidence of their disagreements during training sessions. "We never saw them fight or kick each other during training. There was always respect. But their personalities were so intense and powerful," he indicated.
On the other hand, Ruggeri shared a personal experience and what Daniel Passarella meant to him. "In 1978, I was running with the people in Corral de Bustos celebrating the World Cup championship, and later, I was with these players. I admired and respected Passarella because he played in similar positions as me," he said.
Finally, Ruggeri confirmed the version that Passarella had already overcome not being the captain, motivated by his desire to play in the tournament. Unfortunately, he couldn't participate due to enterocolitis before the start of the tournament and later a muscle injury.
"Forget about it because Passarella had already accepted not being the captain after some conversations. Maradona was the captain from the first day he arrived, and Passarella accepted that he wouldn't be the captain because he knew he would play another World Cup,"