The details and imperfections in Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup shirt that could clarify the controversy behind the auction

The controversy is on the table. The debate is symbolic, but also millionaire. The English footballer Steve Hodge decided to auction the shirt he exchanged with Diego Armando Maradona in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup finals. Sotheby's, the company in charge of organizing the bid, speculated that the final figure will be shocking: they expect to receive between $5 million and nearly $8 million.

But a series of statements from Argentina put the sale in check: Dalma Maradona, daughter of Diez, and Claudia Villafañe, his ex-wife, they put forward a hypothesis that could drastically reduce prices. “You have no way of verifying that it is the second half. He's lying! I'm going to explain. He (for Hodge) does not have the shirt of the two goals, but he can't say it because the other one has much more value, which is the one he doesn't have. There is one for the first half and another for the second. No one can prove that change existed,” Dalma declared on Radio Metro's Un día perfecto program. Minutes later, Villafañe endorsed his daughter's version: “It's going to be the word of this former player against our word. That match there were two shirts, a very rare shirt that shirt because there was no blue shirt. What this man has is that of the first half, even if he wants to auction it is a sin. I don't think this player needs the money unless he wants to auction it to do a good work.”

The discussion crossed the planet and the British organization again insisted that Hodge's shirt that will go up for auction on April 20 is the second half. They warned that they rely on a method called “Resolution Photomatching”, which consists of matching details of the shirt against the photos of the match: “To match the shirt to both objectives, examining unique details that include the patch, stripes and numbering.”

However, Claudia insisted that the shirt is not the shirt of the second half and warned: “Diego would never have allowed it”.

Faced with the stir generated by the words of the Maradona family after the auction was announced, a company spokesman in charge of the sale spoke to various British media outlets to defend the publication. “Sure enough, Maradona wore a different shirt in the first half, but there are clear differences between that and what he wore during the goals. Before we put this shirt up for sale, we did a lot of diligence and scientific research on the item to make sure it was the shirt that Maradona wore in the second half for both goals. It has been in the National Football Museum for 20 years, where countless people have seen it. There has never been a claim that it is not the shirt,” said one representative as the DailyMail replied.

The same British media outlet claims that Sotheby's hired an “expert external firm” to do the aforementioned “Resolution Photomatching” and that in this process they found “multiple conclusive matches” with which Maradona scored both goals in the second half.

The auction house's approach is associated with a series of imperfections that Diego Armando Maradona wears on the shirt crest has against England. In the publication, the shirt is presented as the one “worn in the World Cup match” and they mention “The Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century” as a reference.

In total, there are ten high-quality photos of the current shirt being put on sale, but also accompany the post and other images comparing details of the jacket they have in their possession with match day postcards. All together with a certificate to give it authenticity.

“The conclusive comparison of images based on the frayed threads and stitching imperfections on the front patch of the shirt. The comparisons analyzed led us to conclude that these characteristics are unique to this specific t-shirt. The alignment of the blue stripes with the personalized crest on the front of the shirt, the special numbers on the back and the details of the sleeves also confirm that they match the images of Maradona in the second half. These characteristics were determined as not unique and identical enough to use for testing, but as supporting matching features. It should be noted that the stripes on the shirt in some images of Maradona appear inverted and distort the original clarity. But we confirmed that after a thorough analysis the shirt matches the images of the second half. Multiple photos were used to reach the determination,” says one of the fragments of the certificate signed by John Robinson, who is presented as founder and owner of Resolution Photomatching.

In addition to the enormous historical value of this shirt, it should be noted that it is a truly unique model. Argentina already had a substitute outfit to play the World Cup in Mexico, but coach Carlos Bilardo didn't like it and demanded that an AFA manager go in search of a new format hours before the momentous match against England. “Bilardo wanted “openwork” t-shirts, which have a kind of little holes, so that players suffer less height, heat. The brand that wore Argentina had made the light blue and white, but it had not been able to make the blue one. It was short-sleeved, but it was winter. Bilardo said 'this shirt doesn't work, it has to be opened',” the AFA employee in charge of the crossing, Rubén Moschella, recalled years ago before the ESPN network.

“On the second day I get two Le Coq t-shirts. I took them to the rally praying. Bilardo didn't accept them, again. The next day we were playing... It just so happens that Diego Maradona passes by and says 'Look what Moschella brought. What do you think? is this going to work for you? ' And Diego grabbed one and said 'this one is nice', he revived at that time. “The AFA shield is the old one, it does not have the laurels. The numbers had to be white but they had dark gray ones. If you look, they are shiny, gray, American football numbers,” he added. All these statements were also backed up with film material that Maradona himself had shared on his social networks and where Jorge Burruchaga was heard telling how Mexican employees embroidered the shield and put the numbers on the canvas.

According to former world champion defender Oscar Ruggeri years ago, there are very few copies of that shirt since they were made exclusively for that game: “It was 12 at night and the girls who fed us were gluing the numbers with the iron. Putting those shiny gray numbers on it. There are no more 40 shirts going around and most players don't have it.”

One of the special editions fell into the hands of English footballer Steve Hodge on Sunday, June 22, 1986. The debate is focused on whether that jacket is from the first half or the second, when Diego scored two of the most emblematic goals of the World Cups.

Wearing the colors of Aston Villa, Tottenham and Leeds among others throughout his professional career, Hodge gave up the jacket for two decades to be exhibited at the National Football Museum in Manchester. He also published an autobiography called “The Man With Maradona's Shirt”. And today he intends to receive a millionaire sum for his relic...

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