November 4 – After it was initially reported that he had been hospitalised purely for tests, Diego Maradona, widely regarded as one of three finest footballers ever along with Pele and Lionel Messi, has undergone successful brain surgery for a blood clot in a specialist private clinic, his doctor confirmed.
“We managed to successfully remove the clot. Diego coped well with the surgery,” Leopoldo Luque said. “It’s under control, there’s a little drainage (of blood). He’ll remain under observation.”
Maradona had been taken to hospital in La Plata outside Buenos Aires – where he is the coach of local side Gimnasia y Esgrima – on Monday for a series of tests after feeling unwell. A scan revealed the blood clot, and on Tuesday he was transferred to the specialist clinic.
The Argentine great joined his players briefly at the club’s training ground on his 60th birthday last week but had obvious difficulty walking and had to be helped away by his assistants after staying only 30 minutes.
Luque suggested Maradona’s lifestyle had contributed to his condition. “He’s an elderly patient with many pressures in his life. It’s a time when we must help him. It’s very difficult to be Maradona.”
Maradona has suffered frequent periods of ill-health over the years, often put down to his extravagant behaviour. In January 2019 he suffered internal bleeding in the stomach and the previous year fell ill during the World Cup in Russia.
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