After three weeks of online auctioning, the hammer fell at £7,142,500 (around €8.4 million). This exceeded the estimate of four to six million pounds. According to media reports, it was the highest price ever paid for a shirt worn in a game. Sotheby’s did not say who won the contract.
Jersey from the Quarterfinals against England
Maradona had worn the blue jersey in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals against England. He scored both goals for his team, including his infamous fist, in the legendary game that Argentina won 2-1. The gate be “a little bit with the head of Maradona and a little bit with the hand of God” been achieved, he said at the time. He scored another regular goal minutes later after going past several Englishmen. The hit counts as “World Cup Goal of the Century”. Argentina later became world champions.
Steve Hodge was the lucky owner
After the auction was announced, Maradona’s daughter Dalma claimed it was the shirt her father only wore in the first half, when there were no goals. However, Sotheby’s denied this, pointing out that they have photos to prove the authenticity of the shirt from the second half.
Maradona had changed shirts at half-time and swapped shirts with England midfielder Steve Hodge after the game against England. Hodge had long lent the special garment to the National Football Museum in Manchester. Now he has decided to sell it.
Source: dpa/red