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<span class="vitstoryheadline">Maradona: World Cup final 'mediocre' </span>
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<span class="vitstorydate">07/01/2002</span>
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<span class="vitstorybyline">Associated Press</span>
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    <p>
      TOKYO &#8212; Diego Maradona railed against Japan, lashed out at soccer's 
      governing body, FIFA, and dismissed the World Cup final as &quot;mediocre&quot; as 
      he defiantly answered questions on Monday.
    </p>
    <p>
      Five years into retirement, the controversial soccer great who led 
      Argentina to the World Cup title in 1986 is a bit plumper and moves with 
      less grace than he did in his playing days. Yet he struck hard from 
      behind the microphone.
    </p>
    <p>
      Maradona said he did not deserve to be banned entry to the World Cup by 
      the Japanese government, which initially refused to grant him a visa 
      because of his past drug offenses before reversing its decision.
    </p>
    <p>
      &quot;It was for a very stupid reason that they didn't want me here,&quot; he 
      said, through an interpreter. &quot;If I have done anything wrong, I have 
      done it only to myself.&quot;
    </p>
    <p>
      Despite his invitation to Sunday's final as a special guest of FIFA 
      president Sepp Blatter, he accused the organization &#8212; with which he has 
      had frequent disputes &#8212; of shunning him.
    </p>
    <p>
      &quot;FIFA officials say I'm part of the family. But I didn't get my 
      invitation to the World Cup until the last day,&quot; Maradona said. &quot;I have 
      a lot of new ideas about soccer. But maybe FIFA doesn't want to hear 
      about them.&quot;
    </p>
    <p>
      Maradona, 41, called Brazil's 2-0 victory over Germany a &quot;mediocre&quot; 
      match and described the German team as that country's worst in recent 
      memory, but he also said Brazilian striker Rivaldo and left winger 
      Roberto Carlos were the tournament's best players.
    </p>
    <p>
      In his 20-year career, Maradona won Italian and Argentine league titles 
      in addition to the World Cup title, and also led Argentina to second 
      place in the 1990 World Cup. In 2000, FIFA chose Maradona as the game's 
      best ever, alongside Brazilian Pele.
    </p>
    <p>
      When questioned about his well-documented rivalry off the field with 
      Pele, three-time World Cup champion, Maradona did not hold much back, 
      claiming he, not Pele, should be remembered as the best player ever.
    </p>
    <p>
      &quot;The great things people say about me I can never give to him. They're 
      mine,&quot; Maradona said.
    </p>
    <p>
      He also criticized the United States for its sanctions against Cuba, 
      where he moved two years ago to undergo treatment for cocaine addiction. 
      Maradona denounced the 41-year-old trade restrictions as &quot;terrorism.&quot;

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