Maradona sweats, frets for Matthaeus

One of the world’s greatest soccer legends, Maradona has been in Cuba since January, at president Fidel Castro’s personal invitation, to receive free treatment for grave heart problems attributed to drug and alcohol abuse.

Having looked downcast, obese and barely able to speak properly on arrival, Maradona has now slimmed down, cheered up, and, according to doctors, drastically improved what had been a life-threatening heart condition.

Following his gym session, the flamboyant Argentine, whose brilliant career made him an icon for millions of soccer fans around the world, had a massage in the same Spanish-run hotel.

Highly motivated by the hope of starring — and scoring — in the May 26 game for Matthaeus in Munich’s Olympic Stadium — Maradona was also due to begin acupuncture treatment on Thursday.

In the gym, Maradona jokingly betted an Argentine-style barbecue and five bottles of champagne with Reuters’ Argentine cameraman Alfredo Tedeschi, one of his closest friends in Havana, that he would play in Munich. He also chatted with Italian tourists, astonished to find him sharing their hotel.

Asked by one Italian girl if he was still playing soccer, Maradona, who retired in 1997 after the drug habit ate away at his playing skills, told her with a smile: “I don’t play any more. Now I just play with my children — and I always lose”.

Maradona is, however, planning to train hard for the Munich game, so as to play at least one half and not embarrass himself in a rare public return to a soccer pitch.

“The (heart) frequency is at 127 (beats per minute) at the moment. That’s OK,” Maradona said, wiping away the sweat as he trotted on a running-machine. “When it passes 160, that’s when I have to stop, because I know my heart won’t stand any more.”

Maradona’s manager Guillermo Coppola, blamed by many for his problems but described by the soccer star as a “brother”, trained with him in the gym. “Diego wants to reach Munich in the best form possible, so he has started a 15-day fitness programme of higher intensity,” Coppola said.

“He is very hopeful of playing, but that depends of course on prior consultation and authorisation by his doctors.”

Maradona and Coppola live side-by-side in houses at the foreigners-only La Pradera Health Spa and Hotel in a quiet outskirt of Havana surrounded by fields and trees.

He is due to receive another detailed medical check-up next week. Although not wanting to comment in detail on his health, Maradona said he was happy in Cuba, where he leads a relaxed and relatively tranquil lifestyle.

The Argentine spends hours watching soccer games on TV from his homeland, and makes frequent jaunts around Havana.

Castro personally appointed the team of top local neurologists, heart specialists and nutritionists attending Maradona, and reportedly receives a report on his state of health every couple of days.

Maradona’s presence is something of a public relations coup for Cuba’s health service, which is considered one of the best in the third world and is seeking to offer services as a new source of income for the cash-strapped island. ”

Diego is in good form, and is impressed with the treatment here, both on a personal and professional level,” Coppola said.