Former football star Diego Maradona, 46, has been taken to
hospital in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. Maradona, who led
his team to victory in the 1986 World Cup and is revered in his
country, has suffered from health problems in the
past.
He has battled both his weight and an addiction to cocaine. He has
also been in hospital twice with heart problems. No reason was
given for his admission, but the hospital said it was "not linked
to his addiction to drugs". The statement issued by the Guemes
hospital said Maradona was suffering from "an imbalance" and was
undergoing tests. "He's staying, he's staying... his life is not in
danger," said his personal doctor Aldredo Cahe, speaking outside
the hospital.
His two daughters, Dalma and Giannina, were seen arriving at the
hospital a few minutes after he was admitted. Families of patients
on the 13th floor of the hospital were asked to leave and police
and security guards were brought in to control the area. Maradona
is still revered in Argentina and his fans will be watching and
waiting for any news of their idol, the BBC's Daniel Schweimler
reports from Buenos Aires.
Maradona led Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986, and won league
titles at home and in Italy. But in 1991, he was banned for 15
months after failing a drugs test and tested positive again for
banned drugs at the 1994 World Cup in the US. He retired from
competitive sport in 1997. In 2004, he spent 10 days in intensive
care with high blood pressure, breathing problems and a lung
infection.
Two years ago, he had a stomach stapling operation. He lost 30kg
(66lb), began playing football again and appeared to be getting his
life back on track. But the Argentine media reported at the weekend
that Maradona had put on weight and was considering taking a
slimming cure in Switzerland. Earlier this month, Argentina's
central bank said it was investigating him for alleged financial
irregularities.