Did You Know Maradona Played a Match for Granada?

In 1987, Granada — freshly promoted to the Second Division — were on the hunt for a signing that could propel them back to the top flight for the first time in eleven years. They decided to go for Lalo Maradona, the eldest of the Maradona brothers. It was in September of that year that the club officially announced the signing of Lalo, who was coming straight from Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's most iconic clubs. There was, however, a small obstacle that put the move at risk: there simply wasn't enough money to pay for it.

The story takes an interesting turn at this point. Diego Armando Maradona stepped in personally to make sure his brother could play in Spain and help Granada reach the top flight again. In a remarkable gesture of brotherly love, Diego organised a friendly match between Granada and Malmö FF, offering to play in it himself. The idea was to raise funds through the game at Los Cármenes to secure Lalo's signing for the Nasrid club.

The match took place on Sunday 15th November 1987 at Los Cármenes stadium, and all three Maradona brothers — Diego, Lalo and the third brother Hugo — pulled on the Granada shirt in an electrifying match that sent the city into a frenzy. It was a historic day for Granada, and the supporters could boast of having all three Maradonas in their side — if only for a few hours.