Former Argentine soccer player Maradona, gets a kiss from his daughters Giannina Dinorah, left, and Dalma Nerea. Photo / AP
Former Argentine soccer player Maradona, gets a kiss from his daughters Giannina Dinorah, left, and Dalma Nerea. Photo / AP
Football demigod Diego Maradona's life of cocaine, sex workers and mafia connections finally caught up with him.
The 60-year-old deeply flawed legend died of a heart attack on Thursday, having undergone brain surgery earlier this month, a member of his entourage told AFP.
One of the most gifted football players in history, he will enter sporting folklore as much for his wild ride off the field as he will be for his immortal genius with the football at his feet.
Following emergency surgery earlier this month for a subdural haematoma - a blood clot on the brain - he was taken to a recovery clinic where he was treated for alcohol dependency, his doctor told reporters.
"Diego has gone through maybe the most difficult moment of his life and I think it was a miracle that they found this bleeding in his brain that could have cost him his life," Maradona's lawyer Matias Morla said after the surgery. Two weeks later, his worst fears were realised.
Here is a timeline of his greatest tragedies, scandals and secrets.
As early as 1982, Diego Maradona was a cocaine user.
Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona watches the ball as he warms up prior to the start of an inter-religious match for peace. Photo / AP
When he moved from Barcelona to Napoli in 1984 his drug use quickly spun out of control.
His secret vices of drugs and sex workers saw him fall into a trap with local Italian mafia.
The powerful and violent Giuliano clan of the Camorra organised crime organisation never released the hold they had on him.
In 2014 Maradona told Argentina's Tyc Sports: "I gave my opponents a big advantage due to my illness. Do you know the player I could have been if I hadn't taken drugs?
"I am 53 going on 78 because my life hasn't been normal. I've lived 80 [years] with the life I've gone through."
For several years, the relationship worked in Maradona's favour.
"In Napoli, drugs were everywhere," he said.
"They practically brought them to me on a tray."
One of the greatest players. One of the greatest goals. A football icon.
Diego Maradona was sprung by Italian Police in a wiretap sting operation in 1991.
Cuban President Fidel Castro, right, meets Argentina's former soccer star Diego Maradona. Photo / AP
Trying to order two sex workers to his room through his mafia connections at 3am in the morning, Maradona had finally been busted.
The phone call was tapped by authorities, and later used as evidence to bring charges against him for cocaine possession and distribution (the latter because he offered some powder to the sex workers), the New York Post reported.
It was simply part of his weekly routines.
"Sunday to Wednesday I was partying on cocaine. I would come home high on drugs," he said.
The Camorra indulged his weakness for drugs and women, offering him protection, and indulged his wild partying.
His first drugs ban came the same year. He was banned for 15 months by his own team for testing positive for cocaine.
Later in the same year he was arrested in Buenos Aires for possessing 500g of cocaine and was given a 14-month suspended sentence.
Maradona was back in the Argentina team for the 1994 World Cup in America, however, his tournament came to an end before the end of the group stage when he was expelled for testing positive for five variants of ephedrine, a banned substance.
It was a decision made by the Argentine FA before FIFA could step in, although FIFA went on to ban Maradona for 15 months, ending his international career.
"He had such an incredible passion for the game."
"I've never seen anyone have such a beautiful affection with a football."
A heartfelt tribute from @GaryLineker to the one and only Diego Maradona...
Things got no less controversial in retirement as Maradona was given a suspended prison sentence of two years and 10 months in June 1998 for shooting journalists with an air rifle in 1994.
Diego Maradona holds up his team's trophy after Argentina's 3-2 victory over West Germany at the World Cup final. Photo / AP
The final nail in the coffin of his career came in 1997 when he failed a drug test for the third time in six years.
He spoke publicly and admitted he was a drug addict, saying he would carry the burden the rest of his life.
MARADONA'S BODY FAILS HIM, 20-YEAR HEALTH SPIRAL
Years of drug use, overeating and alcoholism caught up to him in 2000, when he suffered cocaine-induced heart failure.
He suffered an overdose in 2000 and a heart attack in 2004 and was forced to have gastric bypass surgery in 2005.
He was listed in critical condition for several days with doctors saying he was battling a heart inflammation condition and a lung infection.
Dr Alfredo Cahe, Maradona's personal physician said: "Anyone who has ever had to deal with an addict in his family will understand what a tragedy this can be.
"My impression is that this may be the last opportunity we have to help him.
"I'm hopeful that Diego, facing this tough situation, will do whatever he needs to change.
"So far, he hasn't done that."
He returned to hospital in 2007, suffering from hepatitis.
The 57-year-old icon had gone crazy as he saw his beloved Argentina rescue their place in the tournament with a dramatic winner four minutes from time.
Maradona was caught on TV lunging forwards from his executive box seat and giving opposing fans below "the finger" with both hands.
But moments after his nation's thrilling 2-1 win over Nigeria, he was seen hunched over and had to be held up by a pal as he was led to the executive suite area.
Anxious medical staff at St Petersburg's 64,000-seat Zenit Arena were seen checking his pulse and attempting to calm him soon after.
He was taken to hospital in the city for precautionary checks.
A preliminary diagnosis later confirmed he had high blood pressure and a heart murmur.
