Maradona museum opens in Buenos Aires

A travelling museum depicting the brilliant career and turbulent life of former Argentina captain Diego Maradona opened to the public in the Buenos Aires on Thursday.

The musuem, organised by the Buenos Aires city council, contains kit and objects used by the 42-year-old during his career, photos of some of his finest moments and videos of some of his worst.

"It's part of his life and we want to show how it was," Francisco Cerdan, spokesperson for the organisers, told Reuters.

"This is our humble tribute to the man who gave so much to Argentines."

Maradona, regarded as one of the finest players in the history of the game, led Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986.

He also had an outstanding spell at Italian club Napoli.

But his career was blighted by trouble and drug use off the field and he was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup in the United States after failing a dope test.

The museum's exhibits include shirts used by Maradona, a replica model of the house where he grew up in the humble neighbourhood of Villa Fiorito and photographs of him alongside personalities such as the late rock singer Freddie Mercury, Pope John Paul II and Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

The museum was officially opened by Anibal Ibarra, Mayor of Buenos Aires, on Wednesday, but Maradona, who spends most of his time in Cuba where he is undergoing treatment for drug abuse, was not present.

The exhibition will stay in Buenos Aires until November 15 and is due to travel around the country during the summer.