A soccer player was about to commit suicide, Maradona saved his life: “I didn’t want to live any more”

Diego Maradona was for sure Argentina’s biggest emblem ever. Not only in terms of his role in soccer, both as a player as well as a coach, but also, as a cultural and popular icon. His death shocked a 42-million-people country that cried him for days. He lived happy and sad moments with the national team.

One of the saddest moments he had to undergo was the 1990 WorldCup Final that Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany, just four years after beating them 3-2. On that match, held in Rome, the team coached by Carlos Bilardo had two leaders: Maradona, and backup goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea, who replaced injuried Nery Pumpido and became crucial saving two penalties both in the shootout in quarter-finals and semifinals.

However, on the match against Germany, stats say that for the first time, a player was sent off in a World Cup Final. It was Argentina’s center back Pedro Monzón, for a foul over later German coach Jürgen Klinsmann. The match was still 0-0, Argentina would later see striker Gustavo Dezotti sent off too. Monzón had scored a goal against Romania in the group stage.

Monzón’s career (he was 28 years in that match) started to drop back, until he retired in 1996. He revealed speaking ESPN Argentina: “There was a moment in which I wanted to live anymore. I gave Maradona a call on the phone telling him I wanted to meet him. A few minutes later he was knocking on my door”. He’s now assistant coach to Julio César Falcioni in his beloved club Independiente, where Sergio Agüero was raised.