Butcher says he will never forgive Maradona

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-18 15:48

LONDON -- Former England defender Terry Butcher said on Monday that he would not forgive Diego Maradona for his "Hand of God" goal ahead of their meeting in an international friendly.

Argentina's soccer team head coach Diego Maradona gestures during a training session at Celtic Park stadium in Glasgow, Scotland November 17,2008. Argentina play Scotland in an international friendly soccer match at Hampden Park stadium on Wednesday. [Agencies]

Maradona is in Glasgow set to take charge of the Argentine national team for the first time in a friendly against Scotland at Hampden Park on Wednesday.

But Butcher, now Scotland's assistant coach, will not join the welcome committee for the football great, whose infamous goal led to England's 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the 1986 World Cup quarter- final in Mexico.

"I'll never forgive him. It's not nice to lose a World Cup quarterfinal under those circumstances," Butcher told Sky Sports.

"It's not that a day has passed without me thinking about that moment. I'm not that sad. I mean, I don't have a Maradona doll with pins in it, although, come to think of it, that could be a good idea. I might get one."

Butcher said what irritated him is that Maradona still did not tell the truth after the match rather than the Argentine punched in the ball to begin England's elimination.

"He came into the drugs room celebrating. Not speaking Spanish, I gestured to him to ask, 'Head or hand?" and he touched his head to suggest he had done nothing wrong.

"That irritated me even more. If he'd come in and said he's used his hand and apologized, I'd probably have hit him just four or five times instead of the usual twenty.

"What really irks is his behavior for so long afterwards, when he didn't admit it," Butcher said.

Butcher, who was initially surprised by the 48-year-old's appointment, now sees a certain sense in the South American nation's choice.

"My first reaction to the Maradona appointment was surprise, but you can see the logic in it," he said.

"Argentina are only fourth in their qualifying group, they haven't been playing particularly well and possibly needed somebody to unite the whole country. Which is what Maradona will do.

"It won't be about tactics with Maradona. It's the personality, the man. You can sense it working against us on Wednesday, because very Argentine player will be saying, 'I'm going to prove to you that I deserve to be part of the future under you'."