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Maradona recovering

Buenos Aires: Initial medical tests on Diego Maradona, who is being treated at a private clinic for alcoholism and excessive eating, are all "favourable" and the Argentine football hero remains in stable condition, doctors said.

A day after Maradona was taken by ambulance to the Guemes Sanatorium, clinic director Hector Pezzella said the 47-year-old former star spent Thursday under sedation to avoid problems with withdrawal from alcohol. He said Maradona's life was not in danger and that he was in stable condition and improving. "Alcoholism in Mr. Maradona or in any other patient is not something to be taken lightly. One has to treat it," Pezzella declared at the door of the clinic. "They are undertaking treatment specifically for addiction."

Later, Pezzella told a news conference that several routine tests had been conducted and "all the results are favourable."

"There is a very good evolution under way", Pezzella said, adding no "pathology" or underlying disease condition was detected.

Maradona led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and the final in 1990. In 2001, FIFA declared him one of the greatest players in football history, alongside Pele.

A host of problems

But off the field, he has battled cocaine addiction and obesity.

In March 2005, Maradona underwent gastric bypass surgery in Colombia, sharply reducing his weight.

A psychiatrist, Carlos Nasef, who spoke alongside Pezzella last evening, said a team of mental health specialists had been called by relatives to assist Maradona during his "detoxification."

"He is sedated and is cooperating" with doctors on his treatment, Nasef said.

Maradona's physician, Alfredo Cahe, said the football great- despite his own protests - was taken to the clinic late on Wednesday for health problems brought on by overeating, drinking and "he quantity of cigars he smoked."

Cahe said Maradona's health problems did not involve cocaine or other dangerous drugs, adding Maradona had been in low spirits because of family and other problems.

"It was necessary to hospitalise him," Cahe said, adding he would remain at least one week.

Fighting for his life, Maradona was hospitalised in Uruguay in 2000 and again in 2004 in Buenos Aires. Maradona was counselled for drug abuse in Argentina in 2004 and in September of that year travelled to Cuba for treatment at Havana's Center for Mental Health.

Maradona led Argentina to the 1990 World Cup final and won Italian and Argentine league titles. But in 1991, he failed a drug test and was banned for 15 months, and failed another drug test at the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States. He retired in 1997. — AP

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