Diego Maradona's laces were undone.
Even when it was virtually done, even when the drugs ban was lifted 15 months after he had left Naples, even as Sevilla FC and Napoli negotiated his transfer, the Italians forced to the negotiating table by FIFA and the Spaniards bankrolled by Silvio Berlusconi's millions, even when it had been all over the media and a plane had set off from Buenos Aires with El Pelusa on board, Sevilla forward Davor Suker didn't believe it. He wouldn't, he said, until Maradona was actually out on the training pitch with them.