Diego Maradona has had to apologise for kicking a fan's hand before a match because it was intruding on a photo the former Argentina player was trying to pose for, showing a banner of support from his grandson.
"As a surprise from my daughters in Argentina and Manchester, they put a sign up for me in the ground that read: 'Grandfather, I'm with you. I love you. Benja,'" Maradona, who now coaches Al Wasl in the United Arab Emirates, said after his side's 3-0 cup win on Thursday. "I'd like to apologise to one of the fans. I was trying to unfurl and see the whole banner and, by mistake, I perhaps injured him."
The white banner was attached to a fence, with a throng of fans standing behind it. One of them stuck a hand through a hole in the fence to lift the bottom of the banner, which had the message in both Spanish and Arabic. Maradona then pulled the banner down, but the same hand raised it again as several fans tried to get a glimpse of the former Argentina captain.
The second time, Maradona appeared to be more perturbed, yanking the banner down with force. When the same fan lifted the banner a third time, it was all too much for the 50-year-old, who landed a hard kick on the offending hand. He then glared into the camera for the picture.
Maradona took over as coach of Al Wasl in May, arriving in Dubai last month to start his two-year contract. His grandson, Benjamin, is the son of the Manchester City striker Sergio Agüero and his daughter Giannina.