Inspired by
this what-if, I decided to do a scenario in which Galtieri's dictatorship short-sightedly bans Maradona from playing for Argentina for ideological reasons.
In 1977, European scouts were enthralled by the young Argentinian, and eventually Argentinos Juniors were "persuaded" by the regime to sell, with Italian side Napoli the winners. Maradona would lead a period of success for the Italian side, winning three scudettos, two Coppa Italias, and the UEFA Cup twice.
Maradona would eventually play for Italy in the 1982 World Cup, setting the tournament alight as Italy won all three of their first group matches, before overcoming the Soviet Union and Belgium in the second round. Italy would then overcome Brazil in a match that many lamented wasn't the final, before facing West Germany in the final. Italy won comfortably, but it wouldn't be without controversy. With Italy 3-1 up in stoppage time, Maradona out-jumped Harald Schumacher and punched the ball into the net, with the goal amazingly being given. When interviewed about it after the match, he described it as "the hand of God...divine retribution, for what they did to Algeria and what Schumacher did to Battiston."
Italy failed to qualify for Euro 1984, but with Maradona, they would pick up where they'd left off in 1986, beating Argentina and South Korea to top their group before dispatching Uruguay in the round of 16. Then came the quarter-final against England, which would become remembered for "the feet of God". After a goalless first half, Maradona lobbed Shilton from the edge of the centre circle before dribbling past half the England team from his own half to double his tally two minutes later. Italy again met West Germany in the final, and again Maradona inspired the Azzuri to defeat their long-time punching bag. Italia 90 would follow, and after a penalty shoot-out against Brazil, Italy once again defeated West Germany in the final, this time by a goal to nil, becoming the first team to make it a "three-peat" of World Cups.
Italy were odds-on favourites for the 1994 World Cup, and progressed to the quarter final with relative ease. But there, tragedy struck, as Maradona suffered an injury against Germany which ruled him out of the rest of the tournament; Italy would lose the final on penalties to Brazil. Maradona had become a national hero in Italy, while many people debate to this day what would have happened if he'd been allowed to play for Argentina. He went on to coach Italy after the departure of Marcello Lippi in 2010, taking them to the final of Euro 2012 and the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup, after which he stepped down. He currently works as a pundit for Sky Sport, and was also a pundit on Channel 4's Football Italia in the late 1990s.
