Granada will play Malmo this week in the Europa League qualification stage as they aim for a place in the group stage in their first ever season of European competition.
However, as detailed by Marca, this particular fixture is one of the most famous in the history of the Andalusian club and it dates back to a friendly clash in 1987.
15 de noviembre de 1987 con mis hermanos jugamos un partido amistoso ante el Malmoe sueco que terminó con victoria del Granada 3-2. Justamente la historia se volverá a repetir este jueves cuando ambos equipos se vuelvan a enfrentar por la fase previa de la Europa League. pic.twitter.com/mMDlFPqgBp
— Lalo Maradona (@LaloMaradona) September 28, 2020
That day, Diego Maradona played for Granada alongside his two brothers Hugo and Lalo, the latter of whom went on to sign for the Spanish side.
It was the only time the three Argentine brothers played alongside each other in a professional game with Lalo and Diego – from a free-kick – finding the net in a 3-2 win.
Diego played for Napoli at the time but featured for other sides in non-competitive fixtures in return for large sums of money, but he volunteered to play in this encounter for free.
#86AñosdeGranadinismo |1987 | Los tres hermanos Maradona visten la camiseta del #GranadaCF en un amistoso contra el Malmöe sueco. pic.twitter.com/jicoD9u75N
— Granada CF ❤️⚪️ (@GranadaCdeF) April 14, 2017
Whilst Lalo signed for Granada from Boca Juniors, the Spanish team were relegated that season to the third tier and that sparked a 22-year spell in the wilderness before their return to Segunda in 2010 and later promotion to La Liga.
Image via @LaloMaradona
