Higuain's impending move to Juventus hurting me - Maradona

Argentina football great Diego Maradona has expressed his sadness that Gonzalo Higuain could be leaving Napoli for Juventus but blamed "fat cats of business" for the move.


Napoli striker Higuain had undergone a medical with officials from Juventus and had agreed a deal to join the club.

Napoli and Juve remain in negotiations about a potential deal for the 28-year-old Argentina international, with the buyout clause at almost £79m.

Writing on his official Facebook page, Maradona, who won two titles with Napoli, was particularly upset that his compatriot would be leaving the club for a rival Serie A side.

"This Higuain affair is hurting me because he is going to a direct rival like Juventus," he wrote. "But we cannot blame the player either.

"A player has a responsibility to himself and it is those fat cats of business that are grinning the most in this case.

"Nobody thinks of the fan."

Both Arsenal and Atletico Madrid have been credited with an interest in Higuain this summer but it appears as if Juventus will win the race for the player.

Maradona coached Higuain during his tenure as manager of the Argentina national team from 2008 to 2010, but his statement seemed to be directed at Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis rather than his former protege.

'I'm tired of saying that today it seems to be more important to be a good businessman than a good president," he continued.

"This did not happen in my time. Too bad that FIFA continues to sleep."