Diego Maradona means so much to so many people. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, and for some, the greatest ever. To others, he is one of the greatest villains of the game.
Although that is coming from a very English point of view for his Hand of God goal against England in the 1986 World Cup. During his career, the Argentine played for some special teams.
Not least his national team that he helped to win the World Cup in 1986, and the Napoli side he won Serie A titles with. Yet few ever asked who the late Maradona viewed as the greatest ever team. The former number 10 playmaker has very clear views on this.
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Maradona Loved a European Team From the 1970s
The Argentine questioned whether football had decreased in standard
1974 World Cup
Maradona said he had seen many teams play well. Yet we know that this alone doesn't equal greatness. However, when it came to singling out one team, the Argentine was unequivocal:
"Holland in '74 was incomparable. It was like they were playing without touching the grass. They knew what they wanted to do before even touching the ball."
Of course, that Dutch side reached the World Cup final that year. Despite losing the final to West Germany, that Holland side are probably better remembered than the team that beat them. This was due to their fantastic style of play, which Maradona was captivated by:
"They had eyes in the back of their heads when they played. Johnny Rep was here, Willem van Hanegem was on the other side and Johan Cruyff would come from behind. It was incredible, like a symphony."
Maradona Also Liked Modern European Team
Pep Guardiola's Barcelona got the nod
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This was Maradona speaking in 2013, saying that the standard of football has gone down, although he did pay tribute to another side.
He pointed towards his former side Barcelona, respecting how they could control possession throughout a game. Between 2006 and 2015, the Catalans won the Champions League on four occasions. Once against Arsenal, twice against Manchester United and also versus Juventus.
Maradona had no doubt they were the best team in the world when at their peak. Talking about watching that side, the great Argentine said:
"You're in awe of their players. History is the true judge. Only time will tell if they are the best of all time."
Real Madrid would go on after that Barcelona side and dominate the Champions League, yet it is still Barcelona who are viewed by purists as having played the better football. With fellow Argentine Lionel Messi at the centre of that great Barca side, it is difficult to disagree with Maradona.
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