Maradona moves to private clinic

Former Argentina captain Diego Maradona has left hospital and been moved to a specialist clinic in the Buenos Aires suburbs for further treatment after his recent illness.

He left the Suizo Argentina Clinic, where he had returned on Wednesday after initially discharging himself on April 29.

Maradona was first admitted on April 18, and he has now been moved to the Parque Private Clinic, an institution which specialises in drug rehabilitation.

A medical report from the Suizo Argentina Clinic said the transfer came about following a decision made “by Maradona’s family and personal physician Alfredo Cahe”.

Maradona was feared to be on his deathbed last month, after being rushed to hospital with heart and lung trouble.

Since his heyday as captain of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning team, and as talisman of the Napoli team which twice won Serie A titles and also claimed a UEFA Cup title, Maradona’s health has rapidly declined.

He is known to have had major cocaine addiction problems, and had recently been receiving rehabilitation treatment in Cuba, where he has become an associate of President Fidel Castro.

A national hero in Argentina, Maradona’s health was top of the news agenda for the 11 days he had previously been hospitalised, and it was leading the bulletins again last night following his transfer.