Maradona in health scare after erratic behaviour
Diego Maradona was treated by paramedics after appearing to collapse following Argentina’s victory over Nigeria. Video footage showed the 57-year-old, wearing dark glasses, staggering from his seat in an executive box aided by three minders after the final whistle.
He can then be seen collapsing in a chair inside the arena. Maradona was then attended to by Russian paramedics inside the stadium.
Initial reports suggested he had been taken to hospital but this was denied by sources close to the Argentina Football Association, who said the former player had been “stabilised” after concerns over his blood pressure.
Maradona’s behaviour had been erratic throughout the evening. Before the game had begun, he was photographed slumped forward in his seat in the front row of the VIP box, propped up by a metal railing.
He rose to his feet in characteristic triumphal pose when Lionel Messi put Argentina ahead. By halftime he appeared comatose or else asleep in his seat. Later on, television cameras caught him dancing with a female Nigerian fan and then gesturing obscenely to the crowd. He displayed the middle finger of both hands simultaneously. The gesture could prompt an investigation for aggressive behaviour that could incite violence.
When Argentina scored a late winner, Maradona celebrated manically before collapsing minutes later. Maradona, who appears overweight, had suffered from longterm cocaine addiction.
But Maradona remains Argentina’s most adored footballer due to his success in leading the country to victory in the 1986 World Cup. Jubilant fans reacted with shock at the news of his collapse. “It is very sad. He is still our hero,” said one.