On Wednesday evening, the world of sport lost an icon of near-unparalleled stature. The death of Diego Armando Maradona, at just 60-years-old, has shocked and deeply saddened all of us here at Icons.com.

The tragic news brought into sharp focus the profound reverence millions of people had for Diego – not just in Buenos Aires and Naples, but all over the world.

The cascade of heartfelt tributes from family, friends, teammates – even rivals – reminded us that few players were as passionately hallowed as an earthbound deity like Diego.

Diego with Icons’ Non-Executive Chairman Edward Freedman in May 2010

Last night we watched as many on social media shared their favourite Diego memories. We saw those spectacular scenes of his arrival and unprecedented success at Napoli; the wild and almost animalistic celebrations he became known for; the iconic lift of the FIFA World Cup trophy at the Azteca in 1986; and, of course, those goals against England (yes, both of them).

This week has reminded us that icons like Diego are very reason we love to do what we do. When we arranged to get a new collection of memorabilia signed by Diego over the past couple of months, we knew those items would be a huge hit. They have been every time we’ve stocked them over the course of our near-two decade relationship with him. And so they were again.

Icons CEO Dan Jamieson at Diego’s house in Dubai

Many of us have heroes that we pay homage to in our own way. Whether it’s a signed shirt hanging from a wall or a simple ticket stub hidden away in a drawer, we keep memorabilia to stay close to the people whose talents make us love the sports we watch. Bringing Diego closer to his legions of fans has been a great joy of ours for many years.

We may never see the likes of Diego Maradona again and for that the world of sport has been dealt a severe blow.

May he rest in peace.


For information on Diego Maradona signed memorabilia, including pre-orders not yet fulfilled, please contact our Customer Support team via customersupport@icons.com or by calling +44 (0)20 3904 7600 between 9am and 5.30pm GMT Monday to Friday.