Kolkata, Dec. 6 : Former Argentine football star Diego Maradona has arrived in Kolkata. The football crazy city gave the football legend a rousing welcome at the airport and along the route to the hotel even though his flight landed at the ungodly hour of 1 a. m. He was taken in a specially prepared luxury bus with glass windows to the hotel. Along the road, groups of fans waved and cheered at their hero, whose ‘hand of God’ for Argentina can never be forgotten by any self-respecting football fan ever. Stages were constructed in some places where people sang and danced. The chant of ‘Maradona-Maradona’ rent the air.

Maradona enjoyed the adulation through the windows of the bus. For security reasons he was not allowed to alight anywhere till he reached the hotel.

Maradona has a packed scheduled during his stay in the city.

Besides laying the foundation stone for a football academy, he is scheduled to watch a football match at the Salt lake stadium where he would also be felicitated by the city.

Maradona is also expected to visit the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata and meet veteran CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu. (ANI)