STUART FRASER

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FOOTBALL
ARGENTINA CELTIC PARK TRAINING SESSION
Freelance Article
By Stuart Fraser
18^th November 2008

Diego Maradona last night took his Argentina squad for training at Celtic Park 48 hours before the South Americans take on Scotland in an international challenge match at Hampden.

Security was tight both in and outside the stadium despite the fact that only members of the media were allowed to witness the Argentineans first training session on Scottish soil since their arrival at Glasgow Airport on Sunday morning.

The Argentinean team bus arrived just after 6pm and shortly after, the players took to the field with coach Maradona which caused a crowd of around 150 journalists, photographers and cameramen to spring into action.

Celtic officials were, not surprisingly, delighted to host the South Americans and displayed a message on the two big screens welcoming Diego Maradona and the rest of the Argentinean camp to ‘paradise’. A photo of a rather slimmer and younger Maradona with the ball at his feet was also on show.

The new Argentinean coach was obviously not used to a cold Scottish November’s evening and donned both a hat and gloves as he watched one of his fellow backroom colleagues take charge of the warm up.

As Maradona strolled around the park keeping an eye on his squad, it was clear he was revelling being a part of the international set-up once again.

Maradona then separated some of his squad into two teams for a twenty minute bounce match. There is no doubt that the man responsible for the ‘hand of god’ was itching to take part but he had to make do with performing as the man in the middle with a whistle in his mouth.

The training session then ended with a warm down including a series of stretches before the players made their way off the pitch with some treating themselves to a piece of fruit from a plate lying on a table beside the tunnel.

Maradona was not so quick to depart however as Real Madrid’s Fernando Gago had lost a gold medallion and the Argentine spent ten minutes walking around the pitch in search of it along with his colleagues and in fact, just about anyone else who had the privilege of being allowed on the Parkhead playing surface.

Whilst Carlos Tevez looked on whilst enjoying an orange, it was a local lad who came to the rescue with 13 year old Celtic BC player Adam Brown finding the piece of jewellery. Maradona was clearly most grateful as he hoisted the youngster above his shoulders and then presented him with his hat and gloves as thanks for finding his player’s medallion.

The Argentinean coach was then presented with a Celtic home shirt as he left the field and as he walked towards the tunnel, members of the media ditched the idea of professionalism and became autograph hunters throwing pens, paper and blue and white shirts towards the Argentine who duly obliged.

As Maradona signed the last bit of paper and headed into the tunnel, I decided to use one of the few Spanish phrases I know to get a response from the football legend. “Como Estas” was the phrase I shouted which translates as “How are you?” Sadly my lack of fluent Spanish meant that I did not understand his reply but I was still like a kid on Christmas Eve as I left Celtic Park in the knowledge that the great man himself had spoken to me.

The same scene of excitement amongst the media is expected this afternoon when Maradona holds a press conference at a Glasgow city centre hotel.