The (literally Church of Maradona or Maradonian Church) is a religion, created by fans of the late Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, whom they believe to be the greatest of all time.

The Church was founded on October 30, 1998 (Maradona's 38th birthday) in the city of Rosario, Argentina by three fans (Héctor Campomar, Alejandro Verón and Hernán Amez). It could be seen as a type of syncretism or as a religion, depending on what religious definition one chooses to use. It was said by Alejandro Verón, one of the founders: "I have a rational religion and that's the Catholic Church and I have a religion passed on my heart and passion and that's Diego Maradona." Supporters of the Church, supposedly from all parts of the world, count the years since Maradona's birth in 1960 with the era designation ().

They also use for Maradona since it fuses ("God") and 10, the number on Maradona's jersey.Vidal Bueno, Jorge. Dios es argentino. Nacionalismo cultural argentino y Maradona. Repositorio académico de la Universidad de Chile. Consulted on 11 October de 2016. The church has expanded to other countries such as Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Japan, Afghanistan, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay and the United States, among many others.Iglesia Maradoniana festeja cumpleaños de su 'dios'. Terra Networks.Amarás a Maradona sobre todas las cosas Revista KienyKe. Consultado el 23 de noviembre de 2016. In Spain, for example, it is believed that there are more than 9,000 followers.

Ten Commandments The "Ten Commandments" of the Iglesia Maradoniana are:The Guardian, Diego Maradona - 'He was sent from above', 11 November 2008. The ball is never soiled. Love football above all else. Declare unconditional love for Diego and the beauty of football. Defend the Argentine shirt. Spread the news of Diego's miracles throughout the universe. Honour the temples where he played and his sacred shirts. Don't proclaim Diego as a member of any single team. Preach and spread the principles of the Iglesia Maradoniana. Make "Diego" your middle name. Name your first son "Diego".

Synthesis

The Iglesia Maradoniana, founded in October 1998, claims more than 40,000 members worldwide and regards Diego Armando Maradona as the "God of football." Its calendar is based on Maradona's birth date, and its followers, known as maradonianos, celebrate the new year according to this system. A baptism rite involves heading a football in front of an altered photograph associated with Maradona's famous goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.

See also Parody religion

References

External links

BBC article by Tim Vickery.