Diego Maradona's younger brother Hugo dies aged 52

Tuesday, December 28th 2021 - 20:10 UTC

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Hugo Maradona had married an Italian woman in 2006 and settled in Naples

Hugo Maradona, younger brother of Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona, has been found dead Tuesday at his XXX home. He was 52. According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, the cause of death was a heart attack.

Nicknamed “El Turco,” Hugo Maradona had a footballing career of his own. He even made it to the national under-20 national team. Like Diego, he started at Argentinos Juniors and at the age of 18 he signed a contract Italian First Division club Napoli. He retired in 1999 after playing for lower division teams in Argentina.

Hugo was based in Naples, Italy, where he worked with youth soccer projects. The Napoli club also announced his death and joined “the Maradona family in the pain caused by the disappearance of Hugo,” according to an official statement.

Hugo's peak as a footballer came very early in his career when he scored Argentina's winner for a 3-2 victory over Brazil in the South American under-16 Championship in Buenos Aires in 1985.

His club career also included Ascoli (Italy), Rayo Vallecano (Spain), Rapid Viena (Austria), Deportivo Italia (Venezuela), Progreso (Uruguay), and a streak of Japanese clubs between 1991 and 1998: PJM Futures, Avispa Fukuoka and Consadole Sapporo. He retired in Argentina, playing for Brown de Arrecifes.

“Hugo Maradona died. Diego Armando's brother died at the age of 52 in his home in the province of Naples. A heart attack was fatal, and the doctors who came to the scene could not help ascertaining that he was dead,” La Repubblica printed.

“The Argentine, a resident of Naples in recent years, died after a cardiac arrest: Hugo was found dead in his house in Monte di Procida,” stated the Naples website Il Mattino.

Diego's daughters Dalma and Gianinna published heartfelt messages on social media dedicated to their uncle Hugo.

They both published different photos on their Instagram accounts.

Gianinna also wrote: “Not today, in a while perhaps. The inexplicable of life itself, accepting the unacceptable. The smallest of the 3, my godfather, the most rebellious , the one who always lived far away, the father of Nicole, Thiago and Melina, whom I went to see in Japan as a birthday present because he played there, who made me meet Pochacco, Badtz-Maru and Hello Kitty, a karaoke partner, ... [and] the most feisty fighter if he saw me with a guy...” She also said she “would have liked to give you one more hug.”

Hugo Maradona had married an Italian woman in 2006 and settled in Naples where he also tried his luck in politics.