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Maradona leaves Butcher looking flat-footed again
GLASGOW (AFP) - Diego Maradona says he cannot understand why Terry Butcher continues to harbour a grudge over the 'Hand of God' goal that helped knock England out of the 1986 World Cup.
Butcher, an England defender in the team that lost the quarter-final match and now Scotland's assistant manager, said on Monday that he would never "forgive and forget" Maradona's action and made it clear he was unlikely to shake the new Argentina coach's hand when the Scots face his new charges here on Wednesday.
Maradona's response combined good grace (he said he would be happy to kiss and make up) with a hint of a 'Terry who?' attitude, ensuring he once again left his old adversary looking flat-footed, at least in the eyes of an appreciative Scottish audience.
"I don't know why Butcher is taking this attitude," Maradona said. "If people are fine with me, I'll greet them.
"Let Butcher get on with his life and I'll get on with my life. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. If Butcher doesn't shake my hand, I'll still be alive tomorrow."
Maradona also took a swipe at all of his English critics by pointing out that England's 1966 World Cup final victory over Germany came with the help of a Geoff Hurst goal that may not have crossed the goalline.
"England won the World Cup in 1966 with a goal that didn't cross the line so I don't think it's fair that anyone should judge me when stuff like that went on," he said.
Maradona's footballing genius, his impish nature and his role in England's downfall in 1986 have all contributed to him being revered in Scotland and he is certain of a warm reception at Hampden, the venue where he scored his first international goal for his country back in 1979.
"It's something that was very special to me," Maradona, now 48, recalled. "It was nice to start my international career and get my first goal here.
"Hopefully I can repay the Scottish fans by putting on a good spectacle tomorrow night."
The 'Hand of God' goal refers to Argentina's first in their 2-1 win in the 1986 quarter-final, in which Maradona used his hand to beat England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to the ball and deflect it into the net.
Butcher's lingering bitterness over the match may however be more as a result of Argentina's second goal. Butcher twice failed with attempts to stop Maradona as he waltzed past five English players before finally going past Shilton to claim one of the greatest ever goals.
Gary Lineker scored a late consolation goal for England.
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