Maradona clashes with Veron during Pope Francis Match for Peace
ROME: The United for Peace game, organised by Pope Francis, took place at the Stadio Olimpico, its importance underlined by the huge number of former players who made the effort to attend the match, reports Daily Mail, London.
Former Argentina star Maradona was unsurprisingly the headline act, with local hero Totti and former Barcelona and Brazil man Ronaldinho also making the headlines.
And Maradona showed his fiery temper is still in tact as he clashed with countryman Juan Sebastian Veron, a player he once coached, during the charity match.
The Argentina legend showed hes still got the fire in his belly after an altercation with the former Manchester United midfielder.
Veron, who played under Maradona for the Argentina national team between 2008-10, but the pair exchanged verbals during the game in Rome and the situation soon became heated.
As the players trudged off towards the tunnel for the half-time break, Maradona is caught on camera looking visibly distressed and had to be held back by staff.
Former Brazil star Cafu then attempted to diffuse the situation as he put his arm around the 55-year-old as they made their way off the field of play.
Hernan Crespo, Cafu, Gianluca Zambrotta, Roberto Carlos, Juan Veron, Robert Pires and Fabio Capello were also all in attendance, the cast list resembling a whos who of football from down the years.
The match, while a bit of fun for all involved, had a serious meaning after Pope Francis had stepped in to organise the event.
It came just a few days after the Vatican helped host an international congress on sports and faith, the subsequent 90 minutes organised to try and help raise funds for people who have been suffering since an earthquake hit central Italy on August 24.
Maradonas long association with Italian football and the presence of Roma legend Totti on home soil unsurprisingly left the pair as the most popular players on show.
Maradona, who was even targeted by a pitch invader at one point, said before the game: The Pope invited me. He is a Pontiff who is loved by everyone.
He does a good job. I went away from the church, but he was the one who made me have faith again. We need peace nowadays, worldwide.
