West Brom boss Slaven Bilic pays tribute to Maradona

It was announced on Wednesday Maradona had passed away after suffering a heart attack at his Buenos Aires home. He was 60.

Bilic played against him just once – in a friendly for Croatia on the eve of the 1994 World Cup.

But he said it is a moment that will stay with him forever.

“It was a friendly game but a big game for Croatia, Bilic said.

“In 1994 we weren’t playing competitive FIFA games because we were a new country formed from the war.

“For us, it was a friendly but it was a packed stadium. For them, it was the last game before the World Cup.

They were all playing (Gabriel) Batistuta, (Fernando) Redondo – so many stars but it was only Maradona.

“I remember he didn’t tie his laces, it was a big privilege to play against him.

“I took a photo after the game with him.

“It’s funny because for him it was a second but for me it was a lifelong memory.

“Maradona was a one-off. He was a one-off in the way he touched the ball.

“I remember the famous Croatian captain (Zvonimir) Boban, he was a very skilful player.

“But he said Maradona touched the ball differently to any other player in the world. That’s true.”

Maradona was captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup and scored the famous ‘Hand of God’ goal that helped topple England in the quarter-finals.

And Bilic admitted he felt very emotional when he heard about his passing.

“It was my wife who told me the news and I felt pain,” the Baggies head coach continued.

“You feel pain that he died, Diego Maradona.

“And you ask yourself why you are so sad? Why you are almost crying?

“I can’t say that I knew him or that I was his friend.

He isn’t playing, it’s not like you were expecting to see him playing or expecting to see him as a manager.

“So why the pain? You miss him because he is bigger than the game, you just want him to be alive.

“You need him to be somewhere in the air, it’s a big blow, a massive blow.”