Diego Maradona’s last words before he died were ‘I feel sick’, it emerged last night, as the footballing world paid tributes to the Argentine great, widely regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest to ever play the game.
Mr. Maradona, 60, suffered a heart attack at home on Wednesday just two weeks after he was released from hospital following surgery for a blood clot in the brain.
Maradona won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986, having knocked England out in the quarter final with the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal. A few moments later, he followed it up with what is widely regarded the ‘Goal Of The Century.’
Perhaps as controversial as that ‘Hand of God’ goal was Maradona’s wild life off the pitch, be it the company he kept in Naples, or his alleged issues with substance abuse which may have contributed to his health issues.
On Wednesday morning, Maradona had come down for breakfast. His last words, to his nephew, were apparently ‘Me siento mal,’ or ‘I feel sick’ – before he returned to bed in his Buenos Aires mansion.
A nurse discovered Maradona soon after and called for help but he was gone when paramedics came on to the scene.
Three days of mourning have been declared by the Argentinian president.
Thousands of mourners in Buenos Aires and Naples paid tributes to Maradona, as stadiums across Europe fell silent in respect to the legend.
Mr. Maradona is survived by his wife and four children.