Father of daughters Mara and Dona names son Diego after football legend

Baby boy named on the first anniversary of the Argentine football great's death

Last updated: November 26, 2021 | 15:24

AFP and Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor

2 MIN READ

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Buenos Aires: A Diego Maradona fan who named his twin daughters Mara and Dona on Thursday welcomed to the world a baby boy named Diego, on the first anniversary of the Argentine football great's death.

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Walter Rotundo, 39, said he and his wife Victoria scheduled the caesarean delivery for this day. "Everything went fine, as planned," Rotundo told AFP.

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Rotundo says he never met Maradona in person but that his hero knew Rotundo had named his daughters - now 10 years old - after him

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"This day that so many people are sad over Diego, I, too, am sad. But I feel somewhat better because of my son's birth.

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Now, in the future, this day will continue to be the anniversary of the death of Diego but it will also be my son's birthday," Rotundo said.

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He tells the story of how, when Mara and Dona were born 10 years ago, he sent Maradona a picture of himself holding the baby girls in his arms.

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Maradona responded by sending Rotundo a picture of himself holding that photo.

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Rotundo was so tickled by the gesture he tattooed that image of Maradona on his back.

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