Maradona wanted to be embalmed and put on show, friend says

A soccer fan holds an Argentine flag with the face of late Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona painted on it during a tribute to him the day after his death, in Barcelona, Spain, November 26, 2020. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Few people had the power to say no to Diego Maradona in life but his family appear to have put their foot down on an unusual last request.

Maradona, who died from a heart attack on Wednesday aged 60, told friends during the coronavirus lockdown that when he died he wanted to be embalmed and put on show for fans, according to Martin Arevalo, a journalist who was close to the former Argentina captain.