This World Cup Is the Best Thing That Could Have Happened to Maradona

Given the fact that my Argentine nationality will be fairly easy to detect, and in order to keep you from writing me off as a mere flag-waving nationalist, I'm going to begin this article by mentioning an Englishman.

Not long ago I read one of the many sad stories that have surfaced lately about Paul Gascoigne and his ongoing battle with alcoholism. I will say that, despite my nationality, I have a weakness for really great players, and Gazza is is on my list of all-time favorites.

I can see how Gascoigne's antics might be downright infuriating to some, and I would by no means justify many of them, but I've always felt a measure of compassion for those born with the burden of their own brilliance. To me, Gazza seems desperately lost at times, and as a sincere admirer of his, I can't help but hope that he somehow finds a new purpose in his life, something to keep himself busy with.

At times we can be quick to overlook how psychologically taxing stardom can be, and how ill-prepared many stars are for the task. Football, in particular, is a sport where the greatest talents are cultivated in the lower sectors of society and where professional brilliance often contrasts with difficult upbringings and lack of education.

While our stars are still at their prime, we elevate them as if they were gods; once they've lost their edge we toss them out and are often ashamed of what they've become.

The adrenaline high a player feels when competing at a top level is hard to replace. Then, when a player reaches the end of his career, he's faced with an enormous void, one he must deal with in order to move on.

It's a scenario that repeats itself often, especially in Latin American football, where once great players from the likes of Garrincha to Diego Maradona to, more recently, Ariel Ortega have ended their careers or their lives in shame and disgrace.

Naturally some individuals are better equipped to deal with these difficulties. Some naturally have more emotional stability, perhaps due to a better childhood, more education, or any number of factors.

Regardless of what these players have done, they're all part of our great "footballing family" and, more importantly, they're human beings. Although we must condemn their wrongdoings, we should always wish them the best and hope they find their way through whatever troubles they're facing and into a better life.

I'll admit, I've had mixed feelings about Maradona myself; I've often felt downright disappointed, disgusted, and angry at him. For years he's done nothing but destroy himself, and although after his "near-death" incident he has made some improvements, he always seems to take three steps forward and two steps back.

After his vulgar and arrogant outburst at the press conference following Argentina's agonizing victory over Uruguay in October of 2009, I was convinced that Maradona's appointment as manager of the Argentine national team was the worst thing that could have happened to us. Not only was Argentina a laughingstock on the pitch, but now the team was also a disgrace off of it.

And yet over time, I've come to realize that this World Cup has truly been yet another lifesaver for Mardona. Although I wouldn't say he's transformed into an angelic being, he has certainly surprised me since his arrival in South Africa.

He has shown more seriousness, dignity, and self-respect than I've seen from him in a long time. But most importantly he's shown an enormous amount of affection and solidarity with his team, and with all those around him.

His critics, ever so eager to see him fail, have harped endlessly on the fact that he is tactically incompetent, and frankly I'm forced to agree with them. Seeing Argentina play as well as they have has seemed like nothing short of a miracle to me.

Although these successes could very well come to an end—when tactical flaws are exposed by more demanding rivals—it will have been worth it all nonetheless.

If this World Cup does nothing more than help Diego Maradona realize there's a better way to live his life and that there's still a place for him in football, it will have been well worth it—even if his inexperience does wind up costing Argentina the World Cup.