Five of the most outrageous acts committed by a captain on the football field

#4 Diego Maradona

While the captain of a side quite often isn’t their most outstanding player, for some sides it just seems to make sense. That was the case for Argentina’s 1994 World Cup squad. After he’d led them to a World Cup victory in 1986 – and dragged a weaker side to the final in 1990 – it was a no-brainer that Diego Maradona should lead Argentina out at World Cup 1994, despite the fact that after a ban for a positive cocaine test, his club career was largely in tatters.

Maradona was out to prove that he could still deliver the goods on the field, and after Argentina’s first game against Greece, it seemed that he certainly could. Argentina thumped the hapless Greeks 4-0, with Maradona bossing the game and scoring a classic World Cup goal following a beautiful team move. His wild-eyed celebration, however, would prove to be both iconic and damning at the same time.

Maradona captained his side to a 2-1 win over Nigeria in their next group game, but it would prove to be his last appearance in the famous blue and white shirt. Following that game, it was revealed that Maradona had tested positive for the banned stimulant ephedrine, and he was subsequently sent home in disgrace, where he watched Argentina crash out to Romania in the next round of the tournament.

Maradona denied the charges, claiming he’d only taken the drug inadvertently via a supplement drink, and then that he had a secret agreement with FIFA to use it for weight loss, but it didn’t wash. His drug abuse arguably cost Argentina their chance at the World Cup and his stimulant-fuelled celebration goes down as a classic outrageous moment from a team captain.