It is 30 years since Maradona’s last game in the National Team: the 2-1 against Nigeria.
“I don’t want to dramatize, but believe me, they cut off my legs.” This iconic phrase from Diego Armando Maradona is engraved in the memory of soccer fans, accompanied by the image of his last minutes on the field with the Argentine National Team shirt in the 1994 World Cup. At his side, Sue Carpenterthe nurse who took him to the drug control, became a symbol of that moment.
The incident of June 25, 1994
On June 25, 1994, Argentina won its second Group D match against Nigeria 2-1, with two goals from Claudio Caniggia. After the match, Maradona was accompanied by a blonde woman to the anti-doping control.
That woman was Sue Carpenter, a member of the tournament organization.
Three days later, it was revealed that Maradona had tested positive in the anti-doping test, unleashing a media and sporting storm.
The legend of the nurse
Maradona’s positive drug test result turned Sue Carpenter into a popular legend of Argentine soccer. Maradona always denied having taken drugs and denounced a plot involving the then president of the Argentine Football Association, Julio Humberto Grondonaand to the president of FIFA, Joao Havelange. Despite the controversies, Maradona never blamed Carpenter, stating that she knew nothing about her and that “they used her.”
Consequences for the Argentine team
Maradona’s departure had a devastating impact on the Argentine team, which lost the next two matches against Bulgaria and Romania, leaving the tournament in the round of 16.
Maradona maintained that the nurse was not at fault and that she was used by the authorities.
The true identity of Sue Carpenter
It was not until the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games that the nurse’s real name was discovered: Sue Ellen Carpenter. There she worked as a press officer and it was learned that she was a specialist in reproductive medicine at the Atlanta Center for Reproductive Medicine.
Roberto Peidró, the second doctor of the Argentine National Team in 1994, revealed years later that it was he who suggested to Carpenter that he go look for Maradona to “appear in the magazines.” Carpenter, who had had an Argentine boyfriend and wanted to see the country, agreed. Peidró denied the conspiracy theories, clarifying that Carpenter’s presence on the field was coincidental and not a maneuver by FIFA.
Sue Carpenter’s career
Today, Sue Ellen Carpenter is 64 years old and has a distinguished career in reproductive medicine. On her LinkedIn profile she describes herself as a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, with more than 30 years of experience. She was recognized as Atlanta’s “Top Doctor” in 2019 and 2020 and is an active speaker and author in her field. She is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and has held several senior positions within the organization.
Although for many Carpenter is just a side character in a tragic episode of Maradona’s career, his life and career show that he is much more. She is a respected and dedicated professional, whose interaction with Maradona in 1994 was only a brief chapter in a life full of achievements and significant contributions to medicine.
