60-year-old Diego Maradona has been admitted to hospital in Argentina although his condition was not thought to be serious, local media reported on Monday.
Maradona was reportedly taken to the Ipensa clinic in La Plata, about an hour from Buenos Aires.
Maradona, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, coaches the local club Gimnasia y Esgrima.
He was admitted to hospital to undergo tests as he had been feeling poorly for some time and would be held under observation for “several days.”
The Ole.com.ar sports web site, one of Argentina’s biggest, said it was not an emergency and was not related to COVID-19 as he had tested negative in recent days.
Maradona celebrated his 60th birthday just days ago, and also helped his team – Gimnasia La Plata – to a 3-0 win on October 30 against Patronato, though he was not feeling 100 percent and left soon into the game.
Dr. Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s personal physician, is expected to give a statement on the footballing legend’s health in the coming hours, though his condition is not believed to be critical.
The former Napoli, FC Barcelona and Boca Juniors player has suffered frequent periods in hospital over the years, often due to the extravagant lifestyle which accompanied and followed his playing career.
The former Napoli striker was also admitted to hospital in January 2019 with internal bleeding in the stomach.
The football icon also fell ill at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he was filmed passing out in an executive box during the Argentina versus Nigeria game.
Maradona was taken into hospital in 2004 with severe heart and respiratory problems linked to cocaine use.
He later underwent drug rehabilitation in Cuba and Argentina before a stomach-stapling operation in 2005 helped him lose weight.
In 2007 he checked himself into a clinic in Buenos Aires to help him overcome alcohol abuse problems.
(Reuters/NAN)
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