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How Football Legend, Diego Maradona Died 23 Days After Having Brain Surgery

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Argentina legend Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60, Matias Morla, Maradona’s longtime agent, confirmed to EFE.

The World Cup winner was recently hospitalized and underwent brain surgery and was released on Nov. 11.

The Argentine Football Association released a statement, through its president Claudio Tapia, saying it “expresses its deepest pain at the death of our legend, Diego Armando Maradona. You’ll always be in our hearts.”

Maradona won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina and played for Barcelona at club level as well as Napoli, whom he helped lead to the Serie A title.

He played for Barcelona and Napoli during his club career, winning two Serie A titles with the Italian side.

Maradona scored 34 goals in 91 appearances for Argentina, representing them in four World Cups

He led his country to the 1990 final in Italy, where they were beaten by West Germany, before captaining them again in the United States in 1994, but was sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine.

During the second half of his career, Maradona struggled with cocaine addiction and was banned for 15 months after testing positive for the drug in 1991.

He retired from professional football in 1997, on his 37th birthday, during his second stint at Argentine giants Boca Juniors.

Having briefly managed two sides in Argentina during his playing career, Maradona was appointed head coach of the national team in 2008 and left after the 2010 World Cup, where his side were beaten by Germany in the quarter-finals.

He subsequently managed teams in the United Arab Emirates and Mexico and was in charge of Gimnasia y Esgrima in Argentina’s top flight at the time of his death.

Born in 1960, Maradona captained Argentina to World Cup 1986 glory as well as the final in 1990. At the height of his club career, at Napoli from 1984-91, he helped the club win its only two Italian league titles. There were also notable lows when he was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup after being found guilty of doping.

His former team, Napoli said about the devastating death was a “devastating blow” for both the city and the club. “We are in mourning,” club spokesman Nicola Lombardo said. “We feel like a boxer who has been knocked out. We are in shock.”

“Everyone is waiting for words from us. But what words could be possible use for pain as strong as that we are currently experiencing? Now is the time for tears. Later, it will be words,” the club posted on its Twitter account.

“It is a very sad day for the football world,” Serie A president Paolo Dal Pino said in a statement. “Today, a legend of our sport has left us. “One who made us dream and excited fans across the planet. For the next set of fixtures, we will remember him with a ‘special initiative’.”

Maradona had recently battled health issues and underwent emergency surgery for a subdural haematoma several weeks ago. He suffered a heart attack at his home in the outskirts of Buenos Aires on Wednesday, Argentinian media and acquaintances of the former player said.

In 2004, he was hospitalised with severe heart and respiratory problems related to a long battle with drug addiction. He had undergone two gastric bypass operations to control his weight and received treatment for alcohol abuse.

Maradona is survived by his longtime partner, Veronica Ojeda, two daughters, two sons, and his former wife, Claudia Villafane.

 

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