Argentine football great Diego Maradona was admitted to hospital Monday for medical checks , his personal doctor announced .
“ It ’ s not a serious situation and we didn ’ t come for an emergency , ” Leopoldo Luque told reporters outside the clinic in La Plata , south of Buenos Aires.
Though he gave no details of Maradona ’ s condition, Luque said his patient would undergo a series of medical check – ups .
“ He ’ s an elderly patient with many pressures in his life . It ’ s a time when we must help him . It ’ s very difficult to be Maradona , ” Luque said of the star , who celebrated his 60 th birthday on Friday.
The doctor ruled out any link to the coronavirus pandemic , which is ravaging the South American country , much of it still under confinement.
Maradona , who has a history of drug and alcohol abuse and poor health , is considered at high risk of coronavirus complications should he be infected .
He has suffered two heart attacks in the past and contracted hepatitis .
“ Diego is fine , but he can be much better . I didn ’ t find him the way I wanted to see him . I had a previous talk with him , I told him : ‘ Let’ s go to a clinic to improve a little ,’ and he said : ‘Well , let ’ s go , ‘” said Luque.
The former Argentina captain , who led his team to triumph in the 1986 World Cup , is currently coach of Argentine SuperLiga club Gimnasia .
Along with Brazil’ s Pele , Maradona is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.
