For a man unveiling a 12ft statue of himself holding aloft the 1986 World Cup, Diego Maradona cut a modest figure as he greeted delighted fans in Kolkata, India this week.
The 57-year-old attended a charity event in the football-mad city but it was the statue itself which dominated the headlines.
Indeed, it’s obvious the artist behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s bizarre statue unveiled earlier this year is still in business because Maradona now possesses a weird creation of his own.
The unveiling inspired the very best Twitter has to offer in comedic analysis with some questioning whether it could be repurposed as basketball legend Larry Bird.
But despite the lack of resemblance, Maradona appeared cheerful enough as he modestly said: “I am not god of football but a simple footballer. I’m happy to be here in Kolkata again. It’s amazing to have my statue here.”
The Argentina idol is something of an icon in Kolkata having delighted fans in 2008 and his second public appearance there has long been in the making after it was initially scheduled for September.
Statue of Diego Maradona unveiled in India. Is it me or could this be repurposed as Larry Bird ? pic.twitter.com/XJwPJzqSOY
— Maximiliano Bretos (@mbretosESPN) December 11, 2017
The statue has patiently waited behind a blue and white curtain for months before being revealed to the world at a ceremony on Monday.
Perhaps it should have stayed behind the curtains, though, because clearly there still wasn’t enough time for the sculptures to create something which looks remotely like the electric young star who guided Argentina to World Cup success in Mexico 31 years ago.
Still, it’s the thought that counts.
Maradona is also due to take on former cricket star Sourav Ganguly in an exhibition match titled ‘Diego vs Dada’ in nearby Barasat but the Argentine’s recent shoulder surgery has cast doubt over that.
