How did it become known as the "Hand of God"?

[lagalaxyfan]

It's one on the best nicknames in sports, no doubt. How did Maradona's goal in '86 become known as the "Hand of God"? What I'm asking is who actually coined the phrase. I've heard that it came from some qoutes that Maradona made after the game, but I just wanted some confirmation. Was it just a phrase that the press started to use, or did Maradona actually say that it was "the hand of God" that helped him score? Thanks.

[lagalaxyfan]

BTW, let me just say that I realize that there's controversy surrounding the goal and Maradona's presumed use of his hand to score it. Just wanted to make that clear before someone writes, "It's 'cause he used his hand."

[Roblar]

...snip...I've heard that it came from some qoutes that Maradona made after the game...snip...You'd have to do a little library digging to come up with the first articles, but I believe what you heard is correct. He called it the hand of god first - the press just ran with it.

[vipnerd]

You'd have to do a little library digging to come up with the first articles, but I believe what you heard is correct. He called it the hand of god first - the press just ran with it.


Diego was asked after the game if he had used his hand to score as the English had protested ... his answer was "it was the hand of God". Fu_ck_ in' brilliant. :D

[bright]

Diego was asked after the game if he had used his hand to score as the English had protested ... his answer was "it was the hand of God". Fu_ck_ in' brilliant. :D

He was of course referring to himself. :)

- Paul

[Richie]

The hand of God unfortunely also used it to do a ton of coke.

The second goal he scored in that game is the one we should be talking about beat six guys and scored he did that with the feet

[Almogavar92]

It was in the post-match press conference when Maradona was confronted by a journalist (English I believe) about exactly how the first goal to Argentina was scored. And Maradona, with all the wit he could conjure up, answered and said: (mind you it was in Spanish originally)

"Un poquito de la cabeza de Maradona, y un poquito de la mano de Dios."

[A little of the head of Maradona, and a little of the Hand of God]

Would have driven you mad if you were a writer for an English daily, but can you imagine how vindicated the Argentines must have felt? Let them have "las Malvinas" (the Falklands) for another 500 years I say, because you wouldn't trade a moment like that for even the midlands of England.

[argentine soccer fan]

Diego = God

[Pbourgeacq]

Diego was asked after the game if he had used his hand to score as the English had protested ... his answer was "it was the hand of God". Fu_ck_ in' brilliant. :D

Brilliant, if you like cheaters. It was clearly a hand ball, and he knew it.

Regarding the second goal... as brilliant as it was, I don't think it would have ever happened had his hand ball two minutes earlier not counted as a goal. The English were understandably distracted.

[MIGkiller]

Maybe the true Hand of God is now punishing him for using His name in vain.

[Almogavar92]

Maybe the true Hand of God is now punishing him for using His name in vain.

But if you read the original quote, he's really not saying that he himself is God. He said that it was a bit of his head (which it wasn't!) and then the hand of God came and intervened. It was a clever lawyer response. You can appreciate it in the context that with the education that the man has, it was a brilliantly crafted answer to dogde the question. Argentines will call it 'brilliantly witty' (if they even use that word, 'brilliant'), while the English will seethe because the answer dodges the question. This is the cultural difference. In South America, everyone who watched that second goal by Maradona first asked, "why didn't the defenders just hack him down and commit a foul?" Why this eluded the minds of professional defenders from England is also beyond me. Because it's cheating? Or it's unethical? Like sinking the Belgrano outside the warzone waters?

[Pbourgeacq]

In South America, everyone who watched that second goal by Maradona first asked, "why didn't the defenders just hack him down and commit a foul?" Why this eluded the minds of professional defenders from England is also beyond me. Because it's cheating? Or it's unethical? Like sinking the Belgrano outside the warzone waters?

Fouling somebody in a game isn't cheating. It's just part of the game and the result is a free kick against your side. Trying to convince the referee you didn't foul when you did, however, is cheating. That's why diving in the box gets a yellow card instead of just a free kick against you; because it's cheating.

I agree that the English defenders should have probably fouled him before he got into the box, but I really believe they were still distracted from "mano de Dios" immediately before.

[purojogo]

But if you read the original quote, he's really not saying that he himself is God. He said that it was a bit of his head (which it wasn't!) and then the hand of God came and intervened. It was a clever lawyer response. (snip)
At the same time "using his head" could also refer to 'improvising, thinking quicky'...In essence, each part of his answer can be interpreted in different ways

I looked up this article, which i thought was an interesting way of looking at the HOG debate....

Monday, February 16, 2004
Of fair means and foul
Phil Ball
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=291611&cc=5901
Start halway through it (after the 8th or 9th paragraph) for the HOG, England-Argentina game section)

[hoss23]

[QUOTE=Pbourgeacq]That's why diving in the box gets a yellow card instead of just a free kick against you; because it's cheating.
QUOTE]

Which is why Owen deserved yellow cards in both the 98 and 02 games against Argentina...

[somebody]

When the player is a god, then I guess it's his hand.

[Century's Best]

Diario Deportivo Ole, June 12, 2002: "Que se sepa: Dios no es argentino."

(Argentine sports tabloid Ole, June 12, 2002: "Let it be known: God is not Argentine.")

-the English soccer magazine FourFourTwo quoted this and used as its own quote, "Argentine Daily Ole understands at last." HAHAHAHAHAHAH!

[leoriver]

Brilliant, if you like cheaters. It was clearly a hand ball, and he knew it.

Regarding the second goal... as brilliant as it was, I don't think it would have ever happened had his hand ball two minutes earlier not counted as a goal. The English were understandably distracted.

LOL dont hate the player ,hate the game.

[cl_hanley]

Regarding the second goal... as brilliant as it was, I don't think it would have ever happened had his hand ball two minutes earlier not counted as a goal. The English were understandably distracted.
Evidently the Belgians were distracted by it as well, when Maradona ran through their entire team to score a goal some days later.

[Pbourgeacq]

Evidently the Belgians were distracted by it as well, when Maradona ran through their entire team to score a goal some days later.
Apples to oranges. The Belgian team wasn't the same quality as the English team at the time. I'm sure he would have also been able to run through the entire US defense at the time too.

Anyway, I'm not saying Maradona was no good. He obviously was great. I'm just saying I don't think the second goal against England would have happened without the bad non-call for the first goal.

[Auxodium]

because Maradona said that i think :S