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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Maradona appears to need assistance at Argentina match - video

Soccer Football - World Cup - Group D - Nigeria vs Argentina - Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia - June 26, 2018 Diego Maradona in the stands REUTERS/Sergio Perez

ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - Argentina great Diego Maradona appeared to need help to walk after watching his national team dramatically beat Nigeria to survive in the World Cup, according to a video clip posted on Twitter.

Argentine media, including newspaper La Nacion, said Maradona was treated for low blood pressure in the stadium and was able to leave normally shortly afterwards.

In the video posted by Fernando Schwartz, a well-known sports journalist in Mexico, a man can be seen helping Maradona to stay on his feet as he was led away from his seat overlooking the pitch and into an adjacent room.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Group D - Nigeria vs Argentina - Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia - June 26, 2018 Diego Maradona during the match REUTERS/Henry Romero/File Photo

A photograph also posted on Twitter appeared to show two medical staff attending to Maradona.

Earlier, he had been captured by television cameras flicking his middle fingers towards the crowd and celebrating wildly as Argentina beat Nigeria 2-1 with the winner coming minutes before the South Americans would have been eliminated from the finals.

The Argentine website of sports broadcaster ESPN said Maradona was taken to hospital. But other Argentine media described the incident as only a scare.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Group D - Nigeria vs Argentina - Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia - June 26, 2018 Diego Maradona gestures to the fans from the stands during the match REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo

A spokesman for World Cup organisers FIFA said Maradona had left the stadium but could not provide further comment.

A spokesman for Argentina's football association could not immediately be reached.

Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, has battled cocaine addiction in the past. In 2015, he underwent a gastric bypass operation.

Soccer Football - World Cup - Group D - Nigeria vs Argentina - Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia - June 26, 2018 Fans take photos of Diego Maradona in the stands before the match REUTERS/Lee Smith

(Reporting by Simon Evans, Alexandra Ulmer and Andrew Downie; Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Neil Robinson and Ken Ferris)

Soccer Football - World Cup - Group D - Nigeria vs Argentina - Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia - June 26, 2018 Diego Maradona in the stands before the match REUTERS/Sergio Perez
Soccer Football - World Cup - Group D - Nigeria vs Argentina - Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia - June 26, 2018 Diego Maradona with fans in the stands REUTERS/Henry Romero
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