Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni drew the ire of Argentine football fans over the weekend after neglecting to mention Diego Maradona during his recent salute to the country’s most famous lefties on International Lefthanders Day. Supporters included  groups associated with several Argentine clubs, including Boca Juniors and Independiente, among others.

When Boca Juniors clashed with San Lorenzo on Sunday, La 12 — a collection of la Xeneize’s most hardcore fans — took the opportunity to remind the Milei administration official precisely what Maradona meant to them and the country as a whole by displaying a massive banner in honor of the late Argentine legend. The banner, which covered nearly the entirety of the home stand, thanked Maradona for his play and support of the club.

El Pelusa, as the legendary Argentine midfielder was affectionately known, played for Boca in 1981 and then again from 1995-1997. He was also a mainstay at the team’s home games following his retirement.

In addition to the banner, Bosteros waved flags thanking and praising the 1986 World Cup winner, including one that read, in Spanish, “Adorni, Diego is an Argentine.”

Reactions across Argentine football

The first fans to express their displeasure with Adorni’s omission were those belonging to Argentinos Juniors, Maradona’s first club, which faced Huracán last Wednesday. Typically, supporters of the Bichitos Colorados clap and chant Maradona’s name every match in the 10th in honor of the jersey number he wore for La Seleccion. That night, however, they added a plethora of insults for Adorni.

Three days later, Independiente fans unfurled a banner that read, “[Maradona] is left-footed and Argentine. Adorni you’re a snitch and a donkey” during the team’s clash with Rosario Central. Independiente is another club typically associated with Maradona, who admitted to supporting El Rojo as a child before finally adopting his father’s love for Boca.

Figures close to Maradona were similarly quick to react to the spokesman’s comments.

Last Tuesday, the star’s daughter Dalma asked her followers on the stream channel, Bondi, “Should I reply to this muppet or not?” She then went on to criticize the spokesman’s comments, calling them “a poorly executed comedy skit” and proclaiming that “whether [he likes] it or not, Argentina is known thanks to [Maradona].”

Héctor Enrique, a teammate of Maradona’s in the 1986 World Cup-winning team, published a video on his Instagram account calling Adorni the “world champion of idiots.” 

“There are idiots, there are huge idiots, and then there’s [Adorni],” Enrique said, adding that it was just as well that he kept Maradonna’s name out of his mouth.

The Argentine star’s trainer and friend, Fernando Signorini, took to X to sound off as well, writing, “Adorni, you’ll be forgotten on the way from the funeral to the graveyard.”

What Adorni said about Maradona

On August 13, Adorni offered praise for several athletes and musicians on International Lefthanders Day by calling the likes of Lionel Messi, Emanuel Ginóbili, and Guillermo Vilas “lefties who actually added to Argentina’s greatness” — a nod of sorts to the administration’s open contempt for left-wing politicians.

When it was quickly pointed out to him that he had failed to mention Maradona, Adorni replied, “Who?” and then only begrudgingly admitted that the former national team captain was left-footed. 

The omission — and Adorni’s refusal to apologize for it — was taken by many across the country as an insult to Maradona, a figure many Argentines hold as the greatest to ever represent the country. When the star died in 2020, over a million people showed up to pay their respects at his funeral in Buenos Aires.

Maradona’s political views would’ve certainly put him at odds with Milei’s government. The 1986 World Cup winner was a vocal supporter of left-wing politicians, including Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez. 

Last Wednesday, Adorni insisted that he meant no disrespect.

 “Denying Maradona’s legend or what he contributed in sporting terms is not to be an Argentine,” he told the radio station La Red, claiming instead that his remarks were a joke between himself and a journalist.

On Monday, the Casa Rosada spokesman again denied that he had disparaged Maradona during a morning press conference.

“I hope they leave the flag there [at the La Bombonera] because I am a Boca fan. It is part of football’s folklore,” he said. “As I explained, I was naming contemporary players of today’s national team.”