Diego Maradona, beset by rumors of a new positive doping test, said Wednesday he had decided to retire from soccer.
"The footballer in me has come to an end. Nobody's sadder than me," the former Argentina captain said in a telephone interview with television channel America 2."With all the pain in my soul, the moment has come to announce my retirement. Tomorrow will be my saddest birthday," he added, saying he had promised his father last month that he would quit the next time "rumors" circled about his drug habit.
Maradona, who turned 37 Thursday, played Sunday in Boca Juniors's 2-1 victory at River Plate. He has said many times in the past that we has retiring only to return.
Maradona, returning from a month on the sidelines due to a leg injury, played poorly and was taken out with his team trailing 1-0 at halftime.
On Tuesday, local radio reports said Maradona, chosen to undergo a drug test after the game, tested positive. The reports could not be confirmed and the Argentine Football Association said results would not be announced until Thursday.
In August, Maradona, a confessed cocaine addict, failed a doping test after a league game against Argentinos Juniors. After being temporarily suspended, he was allowed to play again after a judge said he was investigating Maradona's claims that his urine sample was tampered with.