On February 22, 1981, on this day, Diego Armando Maradona officially made his debut wearing the Boca Juniors shirt, in a match against Talleres de Córdoba at the legendary La Bombonera stadium.
At halftime, the “number 10” was interviewed by the well-known sports journalist Enrique Macaya Márquez, immediately after the end of the first 45 minutes of that historic match.
A transfer full of twists
Maradona’s move to Boca involved many negotiations and strong interest, not only from Boca but also from River Plate and FC Barcelona.
After lengthy talks, Boca Juniors’ directors reached an agreement to sign Maradona on loan until July 1982, under the following conditions:
- 6 million dollars in cash
- 500,000 dollars from a friendly match
- 15% allocated to the player from the transfer (900,000 dollars)
- Settlement of two debts of Argentinos Juniors:
- 400,000 dollars owed to the AFA
- 1.1 million dollars owed to the San Miguel Bank
It was a very large financial operation for the time, especially considering Boca’s economic difficulties.
The father’s dream
In his autobiography Yo soy el Diego de la gente, Maradona recalls a touching moment with his father:
“One afternoon, while walking with my father in La Paternal, he dared to share a dream with me… something rare for him, because he didn’t talk much. He said to me: Dieguito, do you know what I thought last night? It would be nice one day to see you playing in the Boca shirt… La Bombonera, you, us shouting for goals, and the relatives from Esquina too… But Boca was in financial trouble, they didn’t have a single cent.”
His debut with Boca Juniors was not just a transfer — it was the fulfillment of a family and popular dream. 💙💛
