Champions League clubs pay tribute to Diego Maradona before Wednesday night’s matches as Manchester City, Liverpool and Real Madrid observe minute’s silence before kick-off
A host of Europe’s biggest football clubs have observed a minute’s silence before their group stage games in the Champions League following the passing of football icon Diego Maradona, who died at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack.
The Argentine legend died at his home on Wednesday, just two weeks after leaving hospital where he underwent surgery on a blot clot in his brain.
Maradona, regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, helped Argentina win the World Cup in 1986, the pinnacle of an illustrious career that saw him widely adored for spells at Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli at club level.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Real Madrid all paid tribute to Maradona with a minute’s silence before kick-off in their respective games on Wednesday night.
Manchester City and Olympiacos observed a minute’s silence in memory of Diego Maradona
The Argentine football legend died at the age of 60 on Wednesday following a heart attack
City’s players take a moment to pay their respects before kick-off on Wednesday night
Both Liverpool and Atalanta’s players surround the centre circle at Anfield to pay tribute
News of his death has shocked the world leaving teams across Europe to pay their respects by taking part in a minute’s silence before their matches.
In the early Wednesday evening kick-offs, City’s and Olympiacos’ players gathered around the centre circle at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium to remember the former Barcelona and Napoli great before their game.
Borussia Monchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk also paid tribute with a minute’s silence at Borussia-Park before kick-off.
Real Madrid’s and Inter Milan’s players also observed a minute’s silence at the San Siro
Maradona was also remembered in Amsterdam as Ajax and Midtjylland paid tribute
A picture of Maradona can be seen on the stadium screens inside the Wanda Metropolitano
Pictures of the World Cup winner were shown on huge screens at Borussia-Park as teams across Europe remembered one of the all-time greats.
Later on in the evening, Liverpool and Atalanta paid tribute at Anfield while Inter Milan and Real Madrid’s players observed the minute’s silence at the San Siro.
Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Marseille also took the time to remember the attacking midfielder.
Along with the tributes inside the stadiums, people from across the globe took to Twitter to pay their respects on Wednesday.
His former clubs and the Argentine national team’s Twitter account were among the first to pay tribute.
Players of both Monchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk also observed a minute’s silence
Pictures of the World Cup winner were shown on huge screens at Borussia-Park before kick-off
Barcelona, where he enjoyed two seasons between 1982 and 1984, tweeted: ‘Thank you for everything, Diego’.
The AFA, tweeted: ‘The Argentine Football Association, through its president Claudio Tapia, expresses its deepest sorrow for the death of our legend, Diego Armando Maradona.
‘You will always be in our hearts.
Boca Juniors, where Maradona began and ended his career in Argentina, tweeted: ‘Eternal thank you. Eternal Diego.’
Maradona had recently been in hospital for surgery after suffering a bleed on the brain
Napoli, where Maradona spent seven years between 1984 and 1991 and won the club’s only two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990, wrote: ‘Always in our hearts. Ciao Diego’.
They then tweeted again, saying: ‘The world awaits our words but there are no words to describe the pain we’re going through. Now is the time to grieve’.
Another football legend, the great Brazilian Pele, wrote: ‘What sad news. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend. There is still much to be said, but for now, may God give strength to family members. One day, I hope we can play ball together in the sky.’
