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READING:

Thousands of football fans paid their final respects to football legend Diego Maradona on Thursday. Huge crowds lined the streets of the capital Buenos Aires to catch a glimpse of the car carrying his body. The car was draped in the Argentina flag and a football shirt bearing his trademark number 10. Thousands more silently walked past his coffin as it was put on public display at the Presidential Palace. They were weeping, blowing kisses to their hero and praying. Maradona passed away on Wednesday, aged 60. He died of a heart attack. Argentina's government declared three days of national mourning for him. One fan said: "Maradona represents Argentinianess. He transcended football. He has my respect. I had to be here."

Diego Armando Maradona is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to step onto a football pitch. Many consider him to be the best. He captained his national team when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup. He scored the famous "Hand of God" goal against England in the quarter-finals. In that same game, he scored another goal that was voted as the greatest goal of the twentieth century. Maradona played for Barcelona in Spain and Napoli in Italy. Current Barcelona captain Lionel Messi said: "Maradona will never leave us because Diego is eternal." Brazilian legend Pele, a constant rival to Maradona for the world's greatest ever player accolade, said he hoped to one day, "play together in the sky" with Maradona.

Try easier levels. The listening is a little shorter, with less vocabulary.

Maradona - Level 0  |  Maradona - Level 1  |   Maradona - Level 2

This page has all the levels, listening and reading for this lesson.

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