BUENOS AIRES: Soccer-mad Argentina shocked by the downfall of Maradona is pinning much hope in another talented midfielder named Diego.
These days when fans in the packed stands roar ole for Diego they are cheering the nimble-footed Diego Latorre.
Latorre 21 is slightly taller and much slimmer than his namesake. His ball control shooting and passing looks just as good but he is not as much of a scrapper when it comes to tackling. Although both were obvious choices for Argentina’s team neither could join the national side on a three-match tour to the USA and England.
Maradona has been banned amid a drug scandal. Latorre was needed by his BOCA juniors club for the semifinals of the South American Libertadores Cup with only two (full caps Latorre was sorry to miss the tour.
After beating the U.S. 1-0 in California at the weekend the Argentines play the Soviet Union on Thursday and England on Saturday in a triangular tournament
After four years as & professional Latorre is the toast of BOCA Argentina’s most popular club.
Italian agents impressed by his ball control signed him to play for Florentine next season
Latorre met Maradona after the Napoli skipper return from Italy in April. They talked about Italian soccer and Maradona forecast the younger Diego would have no problems making the grade.
Latorre said he was aware of the temptations lying ahead. I am going to Italy to play soccer and I am going to stay clear from anything that is not akin to soccer he said.
The two Diego’s come from different backgrounds. Maradona’s mastery landed him his first professional contract at 15 and helped him move his whole family from the suburban slum where he was born.
Latorre hails from a middle-class neighborhood a few blocks away from the grounds of the Argentines juniors club Maradona’ s first professional team
While Maradona was with Barcelona Latorre had not yet decided which of his favorite sports he would pursue soccer or tennis
Soccer came out top after a BOCA talent scout saw him playing at his parent’s weekend home when he was 14.
Unlike the rakish Maradona who never finished high school the self-effacing Latorre was a top-grades economics student until he turned professional in 1987
Latorre has one ambition before joining Fiorentina. He wants to win an Argentine league championship playing for BOCA just like Maradona 10 years ago.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 7, 1991
