Maradonna 'progressing well' in detox

Doctors in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires reported progress today in treating Diego Maradona for alcohol abuse and other excesses that prompted the soccer great’s latest trip to hospital.

“He is progressing well,” said Hector Pezzella, director of the private Guemes Sanatorium, where the 47-year-old former World Cup star who has fought battles against obesity and cocaine addiction was taken by ambulance on Wednesday.

Pezzella said Maradona, who was reportedly taken to hospital against his wishes, was “obeying doctors” on treatment for withdrawal symptoms, and “never once was aggressive".

Doctors have said Maradona’s life is not in danger and detoxification would take at least five days. “The most important thing is that he get through this period of excessive alcohol consumption,” Pezzella said.

Pezzella said Maradona ate his first solid meal since arriving, a light breakfast, despite being under sedation.

Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup championship and the 1990 finals, is idolised by millions of compatriots. In 2001, FIFA declared him one of the greatest players in soccer history, alongside Pele.

But off the field, he has battled cocaine addiction and obesity. In March 2005, Maradona underwent gastric bypass surgery in Colombia, and shed as much as 110lbs from his ballooning waistline.

Maradona was in hospital in 2000 in Uruguay and in 2004 in Buenos Aires, both times for life-threatening problems doctors tied to past cocaine use.

Alfredo Cahe, Maradona’s personal physician, said excessive drinking, eating and cigar smoking was to blame for the latest episode, not cocaine.

Maradona was spotted recently at restaurants and nightclubs in Buenos Aires, and Cahe said his social “environment” was Maradona’s biggest enemy.

Yesterday, the Colombian doctor who performed the gastric bypass two years ago said Maradona had to return for regular check-ups may have contributed to his latest woes.

“Any patient who undergoes this sort of procedure needs to submit to regular check-ups to make sure they’re following recovery instructions,” Francisco Holguin, head of the Medihelp Service clinic, told Caracol Radio. “But in Maradona’s case there was no follow-up.”

Without contact, it was impossible for doctors to monitor whether Maradona was abiding by strict orders to exercise and maintain a low-calorie diet needed for the procedure to have lasting success, Holguin added.

Maradona failed drug tests in 1991 and at the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States. He retired in 1997.