Claudia Villafañe recalls 1990 World Cup: Watching Argentina's penalty shootout win from home

Claudia Villafañe, ex-wife of football legend Diego Maradona, shared a personal account of how she experienced the tense 1990 World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and Italy. The match, held in Naples, was a particularly sensitive one as Maradona was playing against the host nation.

Villafañe explained that she and their daughters stayed home to watch the game. Maradona had requested they not attend the stadium, fearing it would distract him to have his family amidst a predominantly Italian crowd. "He wanted to be calm during the match, so I stayed at home and watched it from there," she said.

During the crucial penalty shootout, Villafañe described her anxiety, stating she retreated to the garage and covered her ears to avoid hearing the outcome. She only learned of Argentina's victory when Ciro Ferrara's wife, who lived downstairs, shouted the news to her. "Go celebrate, Argentina passed!" she recalled her neighbor yelling.

Following the news, Villafañe and her family rushed to the stadium to join the celebrations. However, upon arrival, they were denied entry. She believes this might have been due to Italy's elimination from the tournament, even though Neapolitans generally supported Argentina. Villafañe eventually saw Maradona again when the team departed the stadium in their bus.

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Salí corriendo, la abracé a ella, por supuesto, y me fui arriba, a mi casa, y agarré a las nenas, a mi mamá, a mis primos y nos fuimos todos a la cancha.