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🇦🇷 Argentina /Sports

He played in Argentine football, was coached by Maradona and now owns two dealerships: “You have to keep your mind occupied”

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Former striker Jorge Córdoba recalled playing under Diego Maradona at Dorados de Sinaloa, where he said the coach transformed the team’s daily life and defended his players fiercely.
  • Dorados reached the promotion playoff final twice but lost to Atlético San Luis on both occasions.
  • Córdoba, who played for 18 clubs across several countries, now owns two motorcycle dealerships in Argentina’s Santa Fe province.

Jorge Córdoba still remembers the moment Diego Maradona told him he would be his preferred striker at Dorados de Sinaloa. “My body was shaking when I spoke to him,” Córdoba recalled. He even had Maradona sign a shirt because he did not know how long the legendary coach would remain at the Mexican club.

My family used to ask me where my matches were being broadcast.

· Jorge CórdobaHe recalled how little attention Dorados received before Maradona arrived.

Córdoba arrived from Villa Dálmine four months before Maradona took over in 2018. Dorados were near the bottom of Mexico’s second division and received little attention. Maradona, assisted by Luis Islas, changed that almost immediately. ESPN and Netflix began following the team for the documentary “Maradona in Mexico,” while every training session became part of a new daily routine for players who had previously been focused mainly on avoiding relegation.

“He always defended us and told us we were ‘his boys’,” Córdoba said. Under Maradona’s backing, Dorados twice came close to promotion. They lost to Atlético San Luis on both occasions. After the second defeat, Maradona broke down in front of the players. “He had won everything and was our idol, yet he was crying after losing a final in Mexican second-division football,” Córdoba said.

My body was shaking when I spoke to him. I remember that in the first few days I had him sign a shirt because I wanted to have a memento of him. I did not know how long he would be there.

· Jorge CórdobaCórdoba described his first interactions with Maradona at Dorados.

The striker developed a close relationship with Maradona during their year together. He attended Maradona’s birthday, met his family and shared several dinners with him. “That year I was able to enjoy football thanks to Diego,” Córdoba said.

He always defended us and told us we were ‘his boys’. He defended us tooth and nail.

· Jorge CórdobaHe recalled Maradona’s support for the Dorados players.

Córdoba began his career at Unión de Santa Fe and later played for 18 clubs across Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico and El Salvador. At Arsenal de Sarandí, he won the 2013 Copa Argentina under Gustavo Alfaro, whom he remembers warmly. Córdoba eventually continued his career with Correcaminos, while Maradona later took charge of Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata. By 2025, at age 36, Córdoba had moved into the motorcycle business and owned two dealerships in Santa Fe province.

That year I was able to enjoy football thanks to Diego.

· Jorge CórdobaCórdoba reflected on the season he spent playing under Maradona.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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