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Cornejo, scout who discovered Maradona dies at 76
Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Francis Cornejo, the Argentine scout who recruited Diego Maradona after seeing him play at 8 years old on a dusty soccer field, has died. He was 76.
Cornejo died in a hospital Thursday after an unspecified illness, according to the Argentinos Juniors club, where Cornejo was a longtime adviser and Maradona got his start.
Cornejo first saw Maradona play on hardscrabble fields in a working-class neighborhood of Buenos Aires decades ago. He took Maradona under his wing and recruited him for the Argentinos Juniors youth team.
Maradona went on to become one of soccer's greatest players. He was captain of the Argentine team that won the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Cornejo said in one of his final interviews that in identifying Maradona early on he was "happy for having painted one of the most beautiful paintings of all."
Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Francis Cornejo, the Argentine scout who recruited Diego Maradona after seeing him play at 8 years old on a dusty soccer field, has died. He was 76.
Cornejo died in a hospital Thursday after an unspecified illness, according to the Argentinos Juniors club, where Cornejo was a longtime adviser and Maradona got his start.
Cornejo first saw Maradona play on hardscrabble fields in a working-class neighborhood of Buenos Aires decades ago. He took Maradona under his wing and recruited him for the Argentinos Juniors youth team.
Maradona went on to become one of soccer's greatest players. He was captain of the Argentine team that won the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Cornejo said in one of his final interviews that in identifying Maradona early on he was "happy for having painted one of the most beautiful paintings of all."