From the publisher:
The definitive story of the most famous – and infamous – match in World Cup history.
On 22 June 1986, Diego Maradona changed football forever. In four spellbinding minutes he scored the notorious “Hand of God” and the breathtaking “Goal of the Century”, eliminating England from the World Cup and etching his name into sporting folklore.
Drawing on insight from players including Terry Butcher, John Barnes and Chris Waddle; broadcasters such as Martin Tyler and Barry Davies; photographers like Bob Thomas and Peter Robinson, and the journalists, producers and officials who lived it, The Other Side of the Hand of God reveals the full truth behind those moments: the pressure, the politics, the genius and the fury. From the shadow of the Falklands War to the suffocating heat of the Azteca, from England’s fractious preparation to Argentina’s inner sanctum, Asif Burhan pieces together the definitive account of a match that shaped nations.
The author:
Asif Burhan is a football journalist whose work has appeared in leading international publications. Having attended World Cups as a supporter, blogger and reporter, he became an accredited journalist at the 2018 final. His long-standing fascination with Argentina v England 1986 has taken him from the Estadio Azteca to Mexico City archives and Sotheby’s auction rooms. Known for his forensic research and deep love of football history, he combines investigative detail with accessible storytelling to illuminate the human and cultural forces behind the game’s most iconic moments.
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