Maradona's 'Hand of God' jersey could be available for sale
According to an American sports memorabilia expert, the iconic 'Hand of God' jersey worn by football legend Diego Maradona during Argentina's win over England at the 1986 World Cup quarter-final could be available for sale at $2 million. The shirt is presently on display at England's National Football Museum in Manchester. Notably, Maradona passed away on Wednesday due to heart failure.
The momentous shirt could be up for grabs
David Amerman of Goldin Auction believes the shirt could fetch a value of $2million, while the owner is willing for a private sale. "It's very difficult to gauge (the value) with the "Hand Of God" jersey, but I know the owner was looking for a $2 million sale," he told Reuters. "It certainly could be a possibility, the values have jumped quite a bit."
'You can't predict the right value'
"It's very difficult to see how it would get to the two million dollar price, but I don't see why an individual who had the money wouldn't want something like that - you can't really put a number on it," he added.
He gives the example of Maradona's rookie football card
Amerman opened up on the increased demand for sports memorabilia, quoting the example of Maradona's rookie football card. "Maradona's rookie soccer card, we recently sold a copy for $10,000. This is a card that was worth maybe a few hundred dollars a few years ago, and that was before his death. I saw one yesterday online that they were asking $20,000 for," he said.
Who devised the phrase 'The Hand of God'?
In 1986, Maradona used the famous phrase "The Hand of God" to describe a goal that he scored for Argentina during the WC quarter-final match. The critics argued that he should have received a yellow card for using his hand. After Argentina defeated England 2-1, Maradona stated the goal was scored "a little with his head, and a little with the hand of God".
Maradona succumbed to a heart failure
The legendary footballer later led Argentina to a World Cup title, with his resounding performances. Earlier this week, Maradona passed away at the age of 60. The former Argentina mid-fielder had a successful surgery on a brain blood clot, previously. After that, he had to be treated for alcohol dependency. However, he breathed his last on Wednesday, succumbing to a heart failure.
