Diego Maradona dies at 60 following heart attack

AFP

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack.

He had recently battled health issues and underwent emergency surgery for a subdural haematoma several weeks ago.

Widely regarded as one of the game's greatest ever players, Maradona won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez declared three days of national mourning after the former player's death.

Rising to stardom from a modest background, Maradona's was a rags-to-riches story in his country.

His pinnacle of glory came with the World Cup win in 1986 before plunging to misery when he was ousted from the 1994 World Cup for doping.

But he reinvented himself in a stunning comeback in 2008 as coach of the Argentina team, despite a lack of coaching experience.

Maradona previously held the position of honorary sports ambassador for the city of Dubai, and also had two coaching stints in the UAE, managing Al Wasl and Fujairah.

Italian club Napoli said the death of its former star was a 'devastating blow' for both the city and the club.

"We are in mourning," said club spokesman Nicola Lombardo. "We feel like a boxer who has been knocked out. We are in shock."

Maradona played for Napoli between 1984 and 1991, helping the club win its first Serie A league title.

More from Sports News

  • Brook's defiant ton in vain as New Zealand beat England

    New Zealand overcame a blitz from centurion Harry Brook to beat England by four wickets on Sunday in the opening game of their three-match one-day international series, with Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell scoring half-centuries.

  • Bencic tames Noskova to win Tokyo title

    Belinda Bencic breezed past Czech sixth seed Linda Noskova 6-2 6-3 to win the Pan Pacific Open title on Sunday, erasing bitter memories of her straight-sets defeat by Agnieszka Radwanska in the title clash of the same tournament 10 years ago.

  • We need to find answers to stop Liverpool slide, says Slot

    Liverpool manager Arne Slot said opponents have identified a winning strategy against his Premier League champions and he needs to find a solution fast after a 3-2 defeat at Brentford on Saturday made it four league losses in a row.

  • Rohit and Kohli bid likely farewell to Australia as winners

    Rohit Sharma hit a century and Virat Kohli a bright 74 to drive India to a nine-wicket win in the third one-day international on Saturday, sending fans home happy after what are likely to be their final appearances in Australia in their country's colours.

Blogs