Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona watches the group F World Cup soccer match between Argentina and Iran at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Saturday, June 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) (The Associated Press)
RIO DE JANEIRO – Diego Maradona has responded to being called a "bad luck charm" by Argentina's football association president by showing him the middle finger on live TV.
Maradona was responding to reports that Julio Grondona called him a jinx after Argentina's 1-0 victory over Iran on Saturday.
Maradona watched the game at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte but left shortly before Lionel Messi scored the winner in stoppage time. Argentine media reported that Grondona said "the bad luck charm left and we won." Maradona, who has a spiky relationship with Grondona, later gave analysis to Venezuelan broadcaster Telesur.
He said "I want to say to Grondona that what I have done was through work. What he has done was done from buying it from FIFA." He later looked at the camera in silence and stuck up his middle finger.
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