Mysterious footage of Diego Maradona appears to show his coaching staff deliberately blocking television cameras while the World Cup-winning legend is handed an unknown package on the bench during an Argentine league match.
Maradona, who currently manages struggling Gimnasia de la Plata side in Buenos Aires, lost 1-0 to fifth-place Rosario Central in the Superliga on Saturday. In curious scenes on the bench, television cameras appear to show one of Maradona’s coaching staff approach the 59-year-old to hand him an unidentified package.
Another coach seems to gesture to a further member of the technical area to stand in a space which blocks a television camera's view of the transaction.
Despite the contents of the package being unclear and the actions of the the coaching staff remaining unexplained, fans on social media were quick to make assumptions that the clandestine delivery was linked to Maradona's previous drug use, claims that have not been proven and remain speculation.
Maradona struggled with cocaine addiction during his playing days, allegedly picking up the habit while playing for Napoli in the 1980s, and caused numerous health problems.
It sadly continued throughout his career and the player was banned from football after testing positive for the drug during the USA '94 World Cup while playing for Argentina. It marked a sad decline for a player who had captained his nation to World Cup glory just eight years earlier in 1986, his annus mirabilis.
Two of Maradona's former clubs, Barcelona and Napoli, will meet in the Champions League round of 16 on February 25.
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