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Football genius whose flaws made him a hero

Are virtuous heroes boring? As the world mourns footballing legend Diego Maradona, some commentators argue it was not his sporting achievements that made him an icon – but his personal failings. He was a drug addict and an alcoholic. He was taken to court after he refused to recognise his own children. He was banned from the sport he loved after a doping scandal. He only narrowly avoided jail after he shot at journalists with an air rifle. But as news of his death spread around the world this week, Diego Maradona was hailed not only as a hero, but as one of the greatest sporting geniuses who ever lived. Perhaps best known in the UK for his infamous "Hand of God" goal during the 1986 World Cup, Maradona was undoubtedly a giant of 20th-century football. The Argentinian scored 259 goals in just 491 matches and broke the world transfer record twice, joining Barcelona for 3m in 1982 and Italian club Napoli for 5m two years later. For all his flaws, he was loved by fans: when he arrived at Napoli's stadium by helicopter, more than 80,000 people came out to greet him. "One day, I hope we can play football together in the sky. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend," mourned PeleMany still see Pele as the greatest-ever footballer. The Brazilian played most of his games for Santos (his team in Brazil) before moving to the New York Cosmos. He won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962, and 1970. The forlorn image of Pele limping out of the 1966 World Cup illustrates the lack of protection by referees. on Wednesday. For centuries, cultural historians have noted that some of our greatest heroes have also been riddled with personal failings and individual flaws. Homer's legendary poem The Odyssey tells the story of a courageous ancient Greek king who led his men on an epic journey home from battle with intelligence, ambition and physical strength. But OdysseusThe most cunning of the Greek leaders. The Odyssey, an epic poem about the 10 years he spent trying to return home after the Trojan War, is also attributed to Homer. was a flawed hero: he angered the gods with his hubrisArrogance. In Greek tragedy, hubris is the key flaw that brings disaster to humans. by declaring that he alone was responsible for his victory in the Trojan War, conveniently forgetting the sea serpent sent by PoseidonThe Ancient Greek god of the sea. to kill his enemy. Mother TeresaThe Albanian-Indian nun famous for her charitable work. She won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize and was made a saint in 2016. is remembered as a devoted servant to the world's poorest people. Yet at the medical centre she ran in India, conditions were wretched: volunteers reused needles, gave patients expired medicine and mortality rates were as high as 40%. And Amy Winehouse, the talented British singer, was plagued by personal demons: she was charged with assault after a fight, appeared drunk on stage and, like Maradona, was addicted to drugs. If you look closely, even many seemingly unquestionable global heroes have flaws. Winston ChurchillThe British prime minister during World War Two, and later from 1951 to 1955. , named the "greatest Briton ever" in a 2002 poll, is criticised for recommending the use of poison gas against "uncivilised tribes". And Princess Diana spoke candidly about her struggles with self-doubt and eating disorders. Indeed, one thing is clear: flaws are not always fatal to a celebrity's image. And for some global figures, not having a flaw might be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to attaining hero status. In 2009, a year after Barack Obama's US election victory, one American journalist wondered if the new president was just "too perfect". "He does not lose his temper. He does not curse. He does not sneak a smoke. He does not dress sloppily," wrote Richard Cohen. "Voters are suspicious of perfect," said one media strategist at the time. "They actually prefer someone who is human. And has flaws. Like them." So, are virtuous heroes boring? Lacklustre legends Definitely, say some. From Mother Teresa's hypocrisySaying something is bad, but also taking part in it yourself.  to Diego Maradona's public battle with drugs, it is a person's flaws that make them interesting, not a list of their achievements. And the public have spoken - Tim Henman, whose biggest weakness amounts to the occasional cigarette, may be a British tennis star but he was declared "even more boring" than Andy Murray in a 2018 poll. Of course not, say others. Diego Maradona is hailed as a hero despite his flaws, not because of them. It is hard to imagine anything more virtuous than "the Lady with the Lamp" visiting wounded soldiers at night - but nurse Florence Nightingale became a Victorian icon. And history will not forget the "perfect" Obama - in fact, his new memoir sold a record 1.7 million copies in its first week. KeywordsPele - Many still see Pele as the greatest-ever footballer. The Brazilian played most of his games for Santos (his team in Brazil) before moving to the New York Cosmos. He won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962, and 1970. The forlorn image of Pele limping out of the 1966 World Cup illustrates the lack of protection by referees.

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