Diego Maradona was admitted to a medical clinic in Buenos Aires with stomach bleeding, according to multiple reports, delaying his return to Mexico for the start of the Mexican soccer season.
Maradona is the sporting director of second division club Dorados de Sinaloa, and after the team agonizingly missed out on promotion last season, it was unclear whether Maradona would return. The 58-year-old had been partying in his native country over the holiday break, and failed to turn up in Mexico as the season drew nearer.
However, his agent confirmed on Twitter earlier Friday that he would indeed return to the Mexican club for the new season. “Diego Maradona has arranged to continue with the Dorados de Sinaloa and will stay as coach of the team for the whole season,” his agent Matias Morla wrote. “After routine medical exams in Argentina he will arrive at the club’s training ground.”
The club confirmed his assistant Jose Maria Martinez will take charge of the team until Maradona returns.
Reuters is reporting the problem is not serious, and he has already been released from the hospital earlier Friday. According to his daughter, internal bleeding was discovered during routine checkups. Reuters reports that Maradona may have to undergo more tests despite being released, so the timing of his eventual arrival at Dorados is unclear.
Maradona has frequented the hospital over the last few years with a number of health issues. The 58-year-old has struggled with cocaine addiction at times, hospitalized in 2004 with problems linked to drug use. He was also admitted to a clinic in 2007 for problems related to alcohol abuse. At the World Cup this summer he was briefly hospitalized after passing out in a spectator’s box at one of the venues.
