Diego Maradona to remain in hospital for treatment following brain surgery

Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona will remain in the hospital for "several more days" to receive treatment after an episode of confusion following surgery to remove a subdural hematoma, his doctor said Thursday.

"Diego is doing very well. The CT scan we did today was very good," Leopoldo Luque, Maradona's personal physician, told reporters Thursday. "We were even dancing with Diego. ... But we also noticed in the post-op recovery process some episodes of confusion. We associated them, in conjunction with the therapy doctors, to a period of abstinence.

"The plan is to follow a treatment [plan] that we believe will last a few days. It is the best for Diego. We have no doubts about it and this is a great opportunity to do the best for him and his health. He remains hospitalized today and will be here for several more days."

The 60-year-old Maradona previously has battled alcoholism and drug addiction. In 2004, he was hospitalized with severe heart and respiratory issues related to drug and alcohol abuse.

Maradona underwent emergency surgery Tuesday at Olivos Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to remove the blood clot on his brain that was detected Monday after an MRI. Luque, who performed the operation, said the issue likely was caused by an accident, but Maradona informed him that he doesn't remember any event occurring.

Maradona is currently the manager of Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, but he has sat out of the team's training because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maradona, who ended his playing career in 1997, led Argentina to the World Cup title in 1986 and is widely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time.