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Diego Maradona was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, eight days after having brain surgery.
The Argentina legend had remained at the private Olivos Clinic in Buenos Aires after having an operation to remove a subdural hematoma, a blood clot in his brain.
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Maradona, who is in charge of Argentina’s top division side Gimnasia y La Plata, suffered from “episodes of confusion” linked to withdrawal symptoms from alcohol dependency while recovering from surgery.
Maradona, 60, will continue to have treatment and be monitored at a private residence.
“Diego is collected and eager to rehabilitate himself,” Maradona’s lawyer, Matias Morla, said on Wednesday.
“What he needs now is for his family to be united and be surrounded by health professionals.”
Maradona’s personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque, who performed the operation, said the hematoma was likely caused by an accident although the ex-Napoli, Barcelona and Boca Juniors star does not remember the event.
Luque is optimistic Maradona can recover.
“He is progressing favourably with respect to surgery and with the withdrawal symptoms,” Luque said.
“He is a patient that lives in extremes and whenever he wants to stop doing what harms him, he will do so. He is not a heavy user of alcohol because of his history and the medication he takes.
“The issue of lack of sleep is one of Diego’s problems.”
Maradona’s club has been supportive of Maradona. And Luque does not rule out Maradona returning to coaching.
“If you asked me, I would say that no one should have their job taken away, especially if that is their passion and gives them a sense of life,” he said. “I think on a pitch is where Diego suffers less pressure.”
Since ending his playing career in 1997, Maradona has battled a series of health issues. He admitted to the hospital in January 2019 with internal bleeding in the stomach. He also fell ill at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he was filmed passing out in an executive box at the Argentina-Nigeria game.
In 2004, he was hospitalised with severe heart and respiratory problems related to a long battle with drug addiction. Maradona has undergone two gastric bypass operations to control his weight and also received treatment for alcohol abuse.