MaradonawaskickedoutoftheWorldCupafterfailingadrugstest.Hewasfoundtohavetracesofthebannedsubstance,ephedrine,inhisbloodstream.Hemighthavetakenittocombatasummervirus.HemighthavetakenittohelphimloseweightfastbeforetheWorldCupfinalsbegan.Butonethingisforcertain,hedidnottakeittomakehimlaythekindoffootballwithwhichhehasbewitchedtheworldforadecade.TheyhavenotinventedadrugthatcanmakeyouplaylikeMaradona.Iftheyhad,evenEnglandandScotlandcouldhavequalifiedforthefinalswiththeaidofacornershopchemist.ButtheBritishmediawerenotinterestedinanyofthat.TothemMaradona』sexpulsionfromthetournamentprovedhewas「Dirty—cheatDiego」（theideaisthatyousayitfastanditsoundslikeDirtycheatin』Dago）,andtheydraggedouteveryhasbeenBritishfootballertokickhimwhenhewasdown.
GaryLinekersaiditwasacaseof「goodriddance」,andTerryButcherannouncedthatMaradonashouldneverhavebeenallowedtoplayintheWorldCupinthefirstplace,becausehispreviousdrugconviction(fortakingcocaine,adrugwhichdefinitelydoesnotenhanceyourballskills)meanthewassettingaterribleexampletoyoungfans.UnlikeMrButcher,whosetthemsuchafineexamplebyheadbuttingTunisiansonthefieldwhileplayingforEngland.
Ofcourse,thebiledisplayedbythelikesofLinekerandButchercamepurelyfromtheirsenseofaffrontedsportsmanship,andhad「nothing」todowiththefactthattheseplayerswerepartoftheEnglishteambeatenbyMaradonainthequarterfinalofthe1986WorldCup,HehumiliatedEnglandinthatgame,notwiththeHandofGod,butwiththesecondgoal,thedazzlingrunpasthalfoftheteamthatmadetheFenwicksandButchersoftheEnglishdefencelookliketheartlessshitkickerstheywere.LinkerwontheGoldenBootinthatWorldCupbyscoringsixgoals.ButnobodyoutsidehisnativeLeicesterremembersanyofthem.TheonesMaradonascoredagainstEnglandandBelgiumonthewaytowinningthetournamentwillliveinthememoryforever.
ThebashingbulldogsoftheBritishpresshavebeenwaitingforrevengeeversince,andtheysunktheirteethintoMaradonawithrelish.Maradonahasbeenplayingondrugsformostofhiscareer.Hehashadtopumphimselffullofthepainkillercortisone,toenablehimtoplayonwiththecountlessinjuriesinflictedbytheButchershefoundwhereverheplayed—inArgentina,inSpain,inItalyandinWorldCuptournaments.Therewasneveranyoutcryaboutthatbecausecortisoneislegal.Indeedtherichmenwhoheldhiscontractsinsistedhetakethedrugs,becausetheirbankbalancesneededhimonthepitch,regardlessofthedamagewhichcortisonecandotothebodyinlaterlife.
Maradonahasalwayscultivatedhisrelationshipwiththepoorandtheoppressed.InNapleshemadehimselfthechampionofthebackwardsouthofItalyagainsttherichnorth(centredinfootballtermsonACMilan)WhenArgentinaplayedtheItaliansinNaplesinthesemi—finalofthe1990WorldCup,MaradonaevenappealedtoNeapolitanstosupporthisteambecause「WhathasItalyeverdoneforyou?」
MaradonahasincurredthewrathofnolessabigotthanthePope,becauseeverytimeHisHolinessmakesaspeechabouthelpingthepoor,MaradonademandsthattheVaticanshouldgivethemitsownvastwealth.AndhehasoftenfallenfouloftheArgentinianoligarchy.WhenhearrivedintheUSAfortheWorldCup,Maradonasaidthat,first,hewasgladtobeinacountrywheretheyplayedfootballwiththeirhandsaswellastheirfeet,andsecondthathehadamessageforArgentina』spresidentCarlosMenem:「InsteadofswanningaroundhereandboastingtoeverybodythatwearegoingtowintheWorldCup,heshouldthinkofthepoorpeopleathome,onthestreetsandwithoutjobs…」
「我們」無法贏得世界盃，因為英國隊甚至沒有資格進入在美國的決賽。於是英國的媒體決定重演福克蘭戰爭的輝煌，隨之阿根廷隊的隊長迪耶果·馬拉多納成了頭版頭條的主角。
馬拉多納在未通過藥檢後被逐出世界盃。在他的血液中發現有違禁物質麻黃素的跡象。他可能服用了此物來抵抗一種夏季的病毒。也可能為了幫助他在世界盃決賽前盡快減輕體重。可有一點是肯定的，他不會將此藥物用在他那十年來使世人癡迷的足球上面。還沒有人能發明一種能像馬拉多納那樣踢球的藥物。如果有，英格蘭和蘇格蘭或許能靠街頭藥店的幫助而有資格進入決賽了。但英國的媒體對此絲毫不感興趣。對他們來說把馬拉多納逐出錦標賽就能證明他是個「骯髒、騙人的迪耶果」(想想你說得快的話，聽起來就像在說骯髒騙人的拉丁人），並且他們拉出每一個當過英國足球運動員的人，對他落井下石。
加裡·萊茵科爾說這是個「甩掉包袱」的事例，而泰裡·布切爾聲稱馬拉多納根本不應允許再參加世界盃，因為他以前吸毒（因為服用可卡因，這是種絕對不會提高你球技的毒品）意味著他給年輕的球迷留下了一個可怕的示範。這倒不像布切爾先生，他在代表英格蘭隊踢球時在場上用頭撞擊突尼斯隊隊員，從而給別人樹立了多麼好的榜樣！
當然，萊茵科爾與布切爾之流所顯露的失態，純粹是出自他們被褻瀆的球風，與1986年世界盃四分之一決賽上被馬拉多納打敗「無關」，當時他們是英格蘭隊隊員。在那場比賽中，馬拉多納羞辱了英格蘭，不是靠上帝之恩賜，而是靠第二個進球，靠令人眼花繚亂地繞過半數的隊員，使英格蘭的後衛芬威克斯和布切爾看上去像毫無球藝的飯桶。那次世界盃中萊茵科爾因進六球而贏得金靴獎，可除了他的家鄉萊斯特外無人記得其中的任何進球。而馬拉多納在贏得錦標賽的過程中對英格蘭和比利時所進的球卻將永遠留在人閃的腦海中。