Hugo Maradona

Hugo Hernán Maradona (born May 9, 1969), also known as El Turco, is an Argentine Association football coach and former player. He played for clubs in South America, Europe, Japan, and Canada, and was a member of the Argentine U-16 national team.

Career

Born in Lanús, Hugo Maradona is the youngest one of two lesser known brothers of Diego Maradona. Nevertheless, Hugo Maradona was able to accomplish celebrity on his own, becoming a well liked player in Japan and Italy as well as in his native Argentina.

In 1985, he was a part of the Argentina squad that competed at the U-16 World Championship in China. In Argentina's first round match against Congo, he scored two goals to help the team to a 4-2 win, which however was one goal short of what Argentina needed to advance past the group stage.

During 1987, Hugo Maradona was bought by Ascoli to play in the Italian Serie A championship. He played just 13 matches without scoring a goal, and was sold at the end of the season to Rayo Vallecano in Spain. During 1989 he moved again to Rapid Vienna, and after that experience he went back to Argentina. He played in the J. League from 1995-1998.

After retiring from association football as a player, Maradona lived a relatively quiet life in Argentina.

In 2004, Hugo Maradona moved part-time to Puerto Rico, where he became part of that country's association football federation's attempt to invigorate the sport among Puerto Ricans by becoming the head coach of the Puerto Rico Islanders, a team...
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