The recent news of Diego Maradona's ongoing troubles should not detract from his former glory as one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen. Since his retirement he has suffered drink and drug problems, which were particularly highlighted in his goal celebration during the 1994 USA football world cup, and his subsequent failed drug test for the banned substance Ephedrine. Towards the end of his career, Maradona suffered a number of lows, failing a drug test prior the 1994 World Cup in 1991 whilst playing for Napoli and being banned from playing football for 15 months.

Doctors denied that 46-year-old Maradona had attempted suicide after being admitted to hospital in Buenos Aires on 25th March 2007. They say his latest problem relates to ongoing treatment for acute hepatitis related to his alcohol abuse. Maradona is currently obeying the Doctors’ wishes, despite allegedly being admitted against his own wishes. We just hope that the later stages of his life will not follow in the same pattern as another troubled football genius, George Best, who never did win his battle against his own addictions.

This is another in a long line of problems Maradona has suffered since retiring from football. After two short unsuccessful coaching spells in his native Argentina with Deportivo Mandiyu of Corrientes and with Racing, Maradona returned to play once again, but retired from football in 1997 due to failing another drug test. Since then he has been

battling his cocaine addiction, and, in 2005 had a stomach stapling operation to help him lose weight. Since then, it seemed Maradona was getting back to his old self. He started playing football again, but Argentine sources have recently reported that he was considering visiting a slimming clinic in Switzerland, and that the central bank of Argentina have been investigating alleged irregularities with his accounts.

It must be hard for football players, and professionals in any sport who are at the top of their game, with the world seemingly at their feet, to have the irreversible passage of time overtake them, leaving them feeling empty and that their lives no longer have any meaning. Many stars stay on in their sport, but perform other roles which they find rewarding. But to have something that they love so much, that is everything to them, taken away, must be a very bitter pill to swallow.