Diego Maradona on Troubling Pictures and Videos: My Neck Hurt

Diego Maradona put on an impressive display yesterday during Argentina’s dramatic victory over Nigeria. He was a ball of energy early on, as if he’d just consumed a Monster or something. He faltered a bit down the stretch, but rebounded in time to deliver a double middle-finger salute after his countrymen secured a spot in the knockout rounds.

After the match, Maradona wasn’t doing so hot.

Looks pretty serious, right? The stumbling around and pulse-checking can’t be good signs.

The 57-year-old will have you know that it wasn’t at all, and there’s a perfectly simple explanation for the photos and videos.

His neck hurt.

“I want to tell everyone that I am fine, that I am not, neither was I interned,” Maradon wrote on Instagram. “In the halftime of the game against Nigeria, my neck hurt a lot and I suffered a decompensation. I was checked by a doctor and he recommended me to go home before the second half, but I wanted to stay because we were risking it all. How could I leave? I send a kiss to everyone, thanks for the support!”

Kudos to Maradona for not letting a sore neck stand in the way of a very physical and acrobatic viewing experience. A lesser man would have avoided putting so much strain on his body. He has the heart of a champion.