SAN FRANCISCO, November 27, (THEWILL) – A throng of mourners clashed with the police at the funeral of Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona as fans gathered in their thousands to bid farewell to their icon on Thursday.
Maradona, the Argentina and Napoli great, underwent brain surgery earlier this month. He died of a heart attack at the age of 60 on Wednesday.
His remains are lying in honour at Casa Rosada – the presidential mansion in the heart of Buenos Aires – during three days of national mourning declared in his homeland.
The coffin bearing Maradona’s body was draped with Argentina’s national flag and football shirt, which bared his trademark number 10 on the back.
Desiring to pay their hero their last respects, thousands of people joined the line at the Plaza de Mayo Square. The first in line were allowed to enter the building at 06:00 local time (09:00GMT).
The first few hours of the wake, that was scheduled to last for 10 hours, were reserved for Maradona’s family and former team-mates. But, the numbers continued to swell by the hour.
As officers in riot gear struggled to contain the crowds, Argentine outlet Clarin reported tear gas and water cannons were deployed. A clip shared online showed bottles and fences being launched near Maradona’s temporary place of rest.
“El Pibe de Oro” (“The Golden Boy”) is to be buried at the Jardines de Bella Vista cemetery on the outskirts of the city, which is reportedly where his parents themselves were laid to rest.
Fans of all of Maradona’s former clubs also paid tribute to the legendary attacking midfielder, with makeshift shrines set up in Naples, Seville and Barcelona.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
