Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario once explained the heartwarming story of why Diego Maradona regularly wore two watches.
The former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan striker said that he had a genuine friendship with Maradona, who died in November 2020 at the age of 60.
"Diego left an incredible legacy in football," said Ronaldo, now president of Spanish club Real Valladolid, in a press conference. "His loss is very hard to take. The news caught me by surprise and left me very sad."
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Ronaldo added: "I want to send my love to his family. He changed the lives of many people and I will always be eternally grateful for the inspiration he provided me."
In the press conference, the 46-year-old also explained why Maradona was regularly seen wearing with two watches, one on each wrist – a look that came to wider attention when he was Argentina manager during the 2010 World Cup.
"One of the first times he came to visit me in Madrid we had dinner," said Ronaldo. "Diego brought two watches and the legend went that he did not go anywhere without them both.
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"I asked him why he wore two, and he said that his daughter had given them to him as a present and since then he had never taken them off."
That, however, wasn't the end of Ronaldo's tale.
"At the end of the meal he took one off and gave it to me as a gift," the former Brazil international added. "I didn't want to accept it, but he got angry and I was left with no choice.
"I will look after it for the rest of my life as a reminder of his generosity and friendship."
Ronaldo later told journalists that he spoke to Maradona less than three months before his passing, when they discussed a player that the then-Gimnasia boss was coaching.
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"I asked him about a player of his, a midfielder," Ronaldo said. "He told me wonderful things. I explained to him what I am doing [at Real Valladolid] and he thought it seemed great. He always wanted to help me."
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/AlamyTopics: Diego Maradona, Ronaldo Nazario, Ronaldo, Brazil, Argentina
