Profile: Diego Maradona

1960: Born Diego Armando Maradona, October 30, Buenos Aires. Fifth of eight children of a factory worker.

1976: Makes first division debut for Argentinos Juniors, 10 days before 16th birthday.

1977: Full international debut for Argentina.

1978: Fails to make squad for World Cup finals in Argentina. 

1979: Captains Argentina to victory in World Youth Cup in Japan.

 1981: Wins Argentinian League title with Boca Juniors.

 1982: Moves to Barcelona after World Cup finals. Two unhappy seasons with the Spanish club are marred by illness and injury.

 1984: Joins Italian giants Napoli for US$7.5 million.

 1986: Scores infamous `Hand of God' goal then adds brilliant second in 2-1 World Cup quarter-final defeat of England in Mexico. Leads Argentina to 3-2 triumph over West Germany in final.

 1987: Helps Napoli to their first Italian league title.

 1989: Clinches UEFA Cup winners' medal - Napoli's first triumph in Europe. Spends two months in Argentina, failing to return for start of Italian League season. Demands a transfer.

 1990: Leads Napoli to their second Italian title before captaining Argentina to World Cup final in Italy, whey they lose 1-0 to Germany.

 Misses Napoli training and matches, complaining of stress, and runs up more than $48,000 in fines for indiscipline. Becomes involved in paternity suit. Refuses to travel to Moscow for European Cup tie, turning up 24 hours later in a private jet.

 1991: Fails dope test for cocaine and is investigated in connection with Naples vice ring and banned from game for 15 months. Arrested for taking cocaine shortly after return to Argentina and ordered by a judge to quit the habit under medical supervision.

 1992: Refuses to return to Napoli after drugs ban and demands transfer. Joins Spanish club Sevilla for £4.68million.

 1993: Returns to captain his country against Brazil in game marking 100th anniversary of the Argentinean FA. Sevilla refuse to pay outstanding $1,000,000 because he had ``not met his obligations to the club''. Quits and returns to Argentina. Sacked by Sevilla. Joins Argentinean club Newell's Old Boys. Makes international return in first leg of World Cup play-off against Australia. Also plays in second leg.

1994: Sacked by Newell's for missing training. When besieged by reporters at his home, fires air gun, wounding four (later set US$40,000 bail). Scores penalty in friendly against Morocco, one of five internationals in build-up to World Cup. Appears in Argentina's opening two matches before giving positive dope test. Banned for 15 months and fined around $16,000 by FIFA for taking cocktail of performance-enhancing drugs.

 1995: After two unsuccessful coaching stints with lower-division Argentinean clubs, returns to playing action with Boca Juniors in exhibition match in South Korea. He claims in a documentary to have kicked his bad habits and that he is totally devoted to his family.

 1996: Books into a Swiss drugs clinic to try to finally combat his cocaine addiction. Specialist Dr Ricardo Grimson, who has been overseeing Maradona's addiction, says the star is in danger of sudden death.

 1997: Begins fifth comeback, for Boca Juniors. But fails dope test after the first match of the season against Argentinos Juniors. Boca president Mauricio Macri said cocaine was found in his urine.

 2000: Admitted to hospital in Uruguay with a severe heart condition after cocaine use.

 2001: Begins discussions about playing in a friendly for Dundee alongside friend and former international team-mate Claudio Caniggia before eventually opting against traveling to Scotland.

 2002: Ordered to pay $25.6 million in taxes and interest by a Naples court. Escapes punishment for a scuffle with a photographer but given a suspended two-year jail sentence for shooting journalists in 1994.

 2003: Meets his son Diego Armando Jr for the first time in 17 years, who now a footballer in Italy.

 2004: Admitted in a critical condition to a Buenos Aires hospital with breathing difficulties.

 2005:

March 6: Has gastric bypass surgery in Colombia.

 June 22: Returns to Boca Juniors as sports vice president, and hires Alfio Basile as coach. Boca went on to win the 2005 Apertura title, the 2006 Clausura title, the 2005 Copa Sudamericana and the 2005 Recopa Sudamericana with Maradona in the role.

 August 15: Launches talk show on Argentinian television called La Noche del 10. Pele was a guest on the opening show.

 2006: Quits Boca in August after the acrimonious departure of Basile to become Argentina coach.

 2007: Readmitted to hospital in Buenos Aires suffering from hepatitis and the affects of alcohol abuse. Numerous reports suggested he was gravely ill at the time.

 2008: On October 28 confirms he has been offered the job of Argentina coach.

 January 2010: After Argentina's qualification, Maradona used abusive language at the live post-game press conference, telling members of the media to "suck it and keep on sucking it". Fifa responded with a two month ban on all footballing activity, which expired on 15 January 2010, and a CHF 25,000 fine, with a warning as to his future conduct.

 July 2010: The Argentine Football Association said that he would be offered a new 4 year deal that would keep him in charge through to the summer of 2014 when Brazil stages the World Cup

 July 2010: The AFA announced that its board had unanimously decided not to renew his contract. 

May 2011: Confirmed as coach of Al Wasl for two years.