Slimline Maradona arrives in Madrid to meet old friends
A slimline Diego Maradona arrived in Madrid on Monday saying he had put all his problems behind him and had come to Spain to catch up with some old friends at Real Madrid.
A slimline Diego Maradona arrived in Madrid on Monday saying he had put all his problems behind him and had come to Spain to catch up with some old friends at Real Madrid.
The former Argentine captain was besieged by an army of reporters and cameramen who were awaiting his arrival on a flight from Cuba and took 15 minutes to leave the terminal building at Madrid's Barajas airport.
"I'm going to say hello to some friends, to see Arrigo Sacchi who is a life-long friend and to talk with Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Vanderlei (Luxemburgo)," he said.
Former AC Milan and Italy coach Sacchi is director of football at Real Madrid, Luxemburgo took over as coach at the end of last year and Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos both play for the Primera Liga side.
The 44-year-old said he had lost 27 kg after undergoing a stomach stapling operation in Colombia in March adding that his addiction to drugs "was now over" and that "all my problems have now been solved."
Maradona, who played for Barcelona between 1982 and 1984 before joining Napoli, said he was still considering a proposal from his former club Boca Juniors to take charge of the youth team.
"I'm listening to the offer at the moment," said the 1986 World Cup winner.