Diego Maradona clip has fans joking he was dealing drugs during Argentina World Cup 2018 win over Nigeria
Video footage emerges of Maradona passing something out of the VIP box
THIS is the moment that has fans joking that Diego Maradona was DEALING DRUGS during the World Cup.
The World Cup-winning legend hit the headlines earlier this week after needing emergency medical treatment at the end of Argentina’s dramatic late win over Nigeria.
Maradona, 57, blamed “drinking all the wine” for almost collapsing at the end of the game – and later moved to rubbish claims he had died.
The former Napoli and Barcelona star, earning £10,000 per game at the World Cup as a Fifa ambassador, even offered an £8,000 reward to help find the man behind the death hoax.
After the game, some fans had wildly claimed that fingerprint marks left on the glass of his VIP box were evidence that Maradona was ‘back on cocaine’.
The maverick footballer was banned 15 months during his time at Napoli because of cocaine and was later banned from the 1994 World Cup after testing positive for ephedrine.
Maradona has struggled with cocaine addiction and obesity throughout his adult life, but says he has not touched recreational drugs for more than a decade.
Now, an eagle-eyed viewer on social media has joked that Maradona was actually the one SELLING drugs.
The Twitter user, Ronan, posted a short video from the Argentina-Nigeria game that shows Maradona handing something to a man stood in front of him.
He then points to someone in the crowd and then to his chest.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LIVE All the latest action, news, goals and gossip from the World Cup
There is no suggestion Maradona was actually selling drugs.
The clip was captioned: ‘Nothing to see here just Maradona dealing drugs!’
Ronan later joked: ‘Maradona is going to have me shot for grassing him up’.
The clip has so far been retweeted more than 35,000 times and ‘liked’ more than 55,000 times.
Maradona has been involved in several high profile incidents during this tournament, amid reports he is acting up because of a new documentary being made about his life.
Maradona at the 2018 World Cup:
- Caught smoking a cigar inside a stadium – as signs declared World Cup as ‘tobacco free’
- Involved in a race row after making ‘eye gesture’ at South Korean fans
- Video emerges of Maradona on a private jet drinking shots – with a suspicious bag of white powder next to him
- Seen waving and kissing a Lionel Messi shirt ahead of Croatia defeat
- Demands audience with Argentina squad to inspire struggling squad
- Was seen dancing, praying and unfurling a banner of himself ahead of the Nigeria win
- Made a bizarre Dracula-like celebration after Lionel Messi opened the scoring and was then seen fast asleep minutes after the goal
- Reacted wildly when Rojo scored the winner – giving two middle fingers to fans in the crowd
- Moments later he was pictured being helped out of the box and was given emergency medical treatment inside the stadium
- After boarding a private jet to Moscow, he then sent rambling WhatsApp messages to Argentinian journalists – stating he ‘drunk all the wine’ – before releasing a statement on social media to say he was fine
- Video emerges of him inside the stadium appearing completely out of it
- Accused by fans of being ‘back on drugs’ as photos show fingerprint marks on VIP box
- Offers £8,340 reward to identify the person who faked his death
- It’s revealed he is being paid £10,000 per game by Fifa
- Accused of acting up to provide footage for a new documentary by Amy and Senna director Asif Kapadia
The maestro revealed on Thursday that his sister even forced him to “whistle on the phone” to make sure he was alive as rumours of his death circulated online.
He said: “I was so shocked that there had been a stretcher, ambulance and nothing happened.
“We were all together, the Telesur team, and my team, and we could not believe how social networks started to viralize a big lie like that, that makes no sense.
“It gives me a bit of anger, because my sister, yesterday made me whistle on the phone to see if I was OK, and I did fine.
“I asked her: ‘What else do you want me to do?’
“My brother from Italy, my nephew from the United States were worried, because of course the bad news goes much faster than the good news.
“I am very alive and I am very well taken care of.”