VIDEO: 59-year-old Maradona denies daughter’s claim he is dying

Giannina Maradona, one of his the Argentinian’s two grown-up daughters by ex-wife Claudia Villafane, did not name the person she was referring to in her social media messages last week.

But her cryptic messages, posted in the wake of Maradona’s 59th birthday last Wednesday, left most observers in little doubt she was pointing the finger at her father.

She said in an Instagram Story: ‘He’s not dying because his body decides but they are killing him inside without him realising it.

‘I don’t believe in the benchmark NORMAL, but that is a long way from the reality he deserves. Pray for him please.’

She added in a second post: ‘Do you remember a zoo where you could take pictures with a gigantic lion?

‘You could go into its cage and for a bit more ‘cuddle’ it.

‘They had it pilled-up, otherwise it would have been impossible to tame the wild animal.

‘Any resemblance to reality is a pure coincidence.’

And in a third post, written over a mural based on a photo of her dad during his footballing heyday leading her by the hand as a little girl which she first posted on his birthday, she added: ‘Give me your hand like this again, so I can lead you now.’

In June the retired footballer was forced to deny he had incurable Alzheimer’s disease.

He posted a video on his Instagram page insisting he was ‘not dying’ from the irreversible brain disorder and branding the people behind the rumours: ‘Sons of they know who.’

The retired footballer, speaking out after Argentinian newspaper Cronica published a report pointing to him suffering ‘neurological problems’ and the ‘start of Alzheimer’s’, raged: ‘They’re lying, they’re lying. They speak of Alzheimer’s and they don’t know what it means.

‘The word Alzheimer’s is an awful word. People with Alzheimer’s die. I’m not dying. These sons of they know what throw it out there to create confusion. I don’t do confusion.’

His lawyer Matias Morla admitted at the time Maradona had stepped down as manager of Mexican side Dorados to focus on his health and undergo shoulder and knee surgery, but added: ‘In the light of reports Diego Maradona is suffering from the onset of Alzheimer’s I wish to state that none of the medical tests he has undergone show anything of the sort.’

Maradona subsequently underwent knee surgery at a private Buenos Aires clinic and boasted afterwards: ‘Today I walked again like I did when I was 15.’

The soccer great was also at the centre of concerns about his health last year after having to be helped away from his VIP box and assisted by medical staff when Argentina narrowly avoided an early World Cup exit in Russia with a dramatic late goal against Nigeria.

Two Spanish-language recordings which went viral – recorded by the same man and released shortly after the match – claimed he had suffered a fatal heart attack.

One said an adrenaline injection to his heart had failed to save him and the Argentinian squad were yet to be told he had passed away in hospital.

A second 42-second recording, a WhatsApp message sent to a mystery man called Mati by someone passing himself off as an Argentinian sports journalist based in Russia, added: ‘They are only going to be announcing the news tomorrow. It’s a family decision.’