Defining Maradonian studies

The following is an excerpt from the volume Diego Maradona: A Socio-Cultural Study, edited by Pablo Brescia and Mariano Paz (London and New York: Routledge, 2023, 265 pp). This is the first book in English to explore the figure of Diego Maradona as an object of academic study, with the aim of introducing and theorising an emerging field that could be defined as ‘Maradonian studies.’ One of the most iconic football players of all time, Maradona is much more than a sporting legend. He has been read as an emancipatory political figure, a secular saint, a symbol of subalternity and, by others, an anti-hero (cheat, addict, opportunist). This paper includes extracts from the Introduction and Chapter 1 (co-written by Brescia and Paz), discussing the relevance of Maradona today, and his links to Argentinean politics and media. The volume contains individual chapters by different experts on a gamut of areas: Maradona as portrayed in the British press; Maradona and his links to Mexico, Spain, and Italy; the representation of Maradona in literature, cinema, music, and biography; Maradona approached from feminist perspectives; and the phenomenon of the Church of Maradona (among other topics).