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‘Hand of God’: Maradona’s iconic shirt to be auctioned in London
A piece of the most controversial moment in soccer history is being auctioned.
It’s the shirt that football legend Diego Maradona wore while scoring the controversial ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.
The jersey – being put on sale for the first time – could fetch more than 4 million pounds ($5.2 million) in an online auction that opens April 20, Auctioneer Sotheby’s was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, said the shirt is “on a small list of the most important sports memorabilia items in the world”.
Football fans can’t forget that Maradona scored two goals in the quarter-final match in Mexico City on June 22, 1986. The referee allowed the first goal as a header, even though the ball had touched Maradona’s fist.
Maradona later said it had been scored “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God”.
In a 2019 documentary, he said the goal was a revenge for the British victory over Argentina in the Falkland Islands war.
While netting the second goal, he dodged nearly all the English defenders and punched the ball by beating one of the best goalkeepers Peter Shilton. A Fifa poll saw it being voted “goal of the century” in 2002.
Argentina won that game 2-1 and went on to lift the world cup. After the match, Maradona swapped shirts with the England midfielder Steve Hodge.
Since then, the shirt has been on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester, northern England.
But now, Hodge has decided to sell the jersey. Hodge said he had been a “proud owner” of a shirt that “has deep cultural meaning to the football world, the people of Argentina, and the people of England”.
The shirt could beat a record for a piece of sportswear, held by a Babe Ruth New York Yankees jersey that sold for $5.64 million in 2019, the AP reported.
It will be exhibited in Sotheby’s London showroom from April 20-May 4.
Emirates Engineering has launched a new programme giving UAE university students the chance to transform retired aircraft materials into innovative products while gaining hands-on experience with the airline’s engineering teams.
Called Material Futures Studio, the six-week initiative is led by Emirates Engineering’s Upcycling department. It aims to inspire the next generation of aviation engineers by challenging students to find creative new uses for materials recovered from retired aircraft.
The first edition brings together 23 students from Khalifa University, Emirates Aviation University and the University of Sharjah.
Students began the programme with an orientation session and a behind-the-scenes tour of Emirates Engineering’s facilities in Dubai, where they met senior leaders, explored aircraft maintenance operations and visited the airline’s upcycling workshop to see how retired aircraft materials are already being turned into new products.
How the programme works
Over six weeks, participants will develop concepts and prototypes using materials recovered from retired aircraft, with guidance from Emirates Engineering specialists throughout the design and development process.
The programme will conclude with a showcase where students present their final ideas and prototypes.
According to Emirates, the initiative is designed to bridge the gap between academia and industry by giving students practical engineering experience while enabling the airline to tap into fresh ideas and emerging talent.
Part of Emirates’ sustainability efforts
Material Futures Studio builds on Emirates’ wider sustainability strategy and its multi-billion-dollar aircraft retrofit programme.
The airline is currently refurbishing 219 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, one of the largest retrofit projects in the aviation industry. Rather than discarding materials removed during the upgrades, Emirates Engineering has been repurposing them into new products through its in-house upcycling projects.
These include the Aircrafted by Emirates collection of limited-edition luggage, bags and accessories made from reclaimed aircraft materials, as well as Aircrafted KIDS, which transforms retired aircraft fabrics into backpacks for children. Emirates says more than 4,000 backpacks have already been donated to children in 11 countries.
Emirates recruits UAE students to turn retired aircraft into new products
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