WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FIRST ROUND : SPOTLIGHT : MARADONA LENT WORLD CUP CLASS

Brazil Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, reacting to the suspension of Argentina’s Diego Maradona:

“It’s a tragedy for soccer. I love great players, and he is one of the best players in the world. He was giving the World Cup a touch of class with his presence, and, without any doubt, he was responsible for Argentina’s success. He had the opportunity to recover his prestige, to get back to the top, and now that opportunity has slipped away. . . . In some respects, it deflates the World Cup.”