Argentine football legend Diego Maradona is back in the hospital, two days after being released following treatment for hepatitis and other effects of alcohol abuse. His doctor said he was experiencing stomach pain.
The 46-year-old Maradona was taken to the emergency ward of a hospital 30 kilometers south of Buenos Aires early this Friday morning. Dr. Alfredo Cahe said he entered the hospital with strong abdominal pain, but added that his life is not in danger.
Maradona's most recent hospital stay lasted 13 days. He was treated for excessive drinking that sparked a return of chronic hepatitis, which he has suffered for years.
He was hospitalized in 2000 and 2004 for heart attacks provoked by cocaine overdoses.
Maradona led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup championship and to the final in 1990.
In 2001, he was named by world football's governing body (FIFA) as one of the sport's greatest players, alongside Brazilian legend Pele. But his life off the field has been plagued by ill health brought on by drug addiction and obesity. He underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2005.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.