On June 4, 1982, Diego Armando Maradona signed a contract with FC Barcelona, and the announcement was met with widespread celebration as fans rejoiced over his arrival as a blaugrana. Barcelona's pursuit of Maradona, however, had begun years earlier. In 1978, Causas first encountered the young talent in Argentina, and from that meeting, the board shared his enthusiasm and determination to bring the 17-year-old prodigy to the club.
Nicknamed "El Peluso" because of his hair, he developed a close relationship with Causas. Maradona's time at Barcelona was relatively brief compared to other players. He missed a significant part of his debut season at the Camp Nou due to hepatitis, although the exact cause of his illness remains uncertain. While his time at Barcelona was often marked by incidents and controversy, it doesn't overshadow the remarkable contributions he made on the field.
In Maradona's first season at Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao won the La Liga title and became one of his biggest rivals. In his second season, the two sides met early in a match that would become infamous. Andoni Goikoetxea, known as "the Butcher of Bilbao," delivered a brutal tackle from behind that broke Maradona's ankle, marking one of football's most infamous fouls. Maradona was sidelined for much of the season but returned with vengeance. After his recovery, he scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao, a powerful moment of redemption.