'I sleep peacefully, I'm not dying at all': Diego Maradona plays down health concerns

Football legend Diego Maradona has played down fresh concerns about his health, insisting that he is well and relishing his role as head coach of Argentine club Gimnasia.
Diego Maradona (File Photo: IANS)
Diego Maradona (File Photo: IANS)

Buenos Aires, Nov 5 (IANS): Football legend Diego Maradona has played down fresh concerns about his health, insisting that he is well and relishing his role as head coach of Argentine club Gimnasia.

Maradona's youngest daughter, Gianinna, raised fears about the 59-year-old's health when she posted on Instagram "they are killing him on the inside without him noticing", reports said.

The message, which included a call to "pray" for the 1986 World Cup winner, was seemingly a reference to media criticism of Maradona's work with Gimnasia as the club battles to avoid relegation from Argentina's top division.

Maradona, who has had a long-standing public feud with Gianinna as well as his eldest daughter, Dalma, and their mother, Claudia Villafane, responded with his own Instagram post hours later.

"I'm not dying at all," the former Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli star said in a video published on the social media platform.

"I sleep peacefully because I am working. I don't know what Gianinna meant. I know that as one gets older people care more about what you will leave behind than about what you are doing. I am very healthy," added the former No. 10, before vowing to pledge his wealth to charity in his will.

Maradona has been Gimnasia's head coach since September 5, when he replaced Dario Ortiz just five games into the Superliga season.

The La Plata-based outfit is currently 23rd in the 24-team standings with two wins and five losses under Maradona's command.

Widely regarded as one of the best footballers ever, Maradona has suffered from a series of health issues since ending his playing career in 1997.

In 2004, he was hospitalised with severe heart and respiratory problems related to a long battle with drug addiction.

He has also undergone two gastric bypass operations to control his weight and received treatment for alcohol abuse.

In January, Maradona had surgery to stem bleeding in his stomach and in July he underwent a knee operation.

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