Soccer-Court rules Maradona's body 'must be conserved'

FILE PHOTO: Argentina's soccer team head coach Diego Maradona smiles during their international friendly soccer match against Scotland at Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow, Scotland November 19, 2008. REUTERS/David Moir (BRITAIN)

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The body of late soccer great Diego Maradona "must be conserved" in case his DNA is needed in a paternity case, an Argentine court ruled on Wednesday.

Maradona died of a heart attack last month and was buried on Nov. 26 in a cemetery just outside Buenos Aires.

While Maradona's lawyer had previously told Reuters that DNA samples already exist, the court said the former Boca Juniors and Napoli player's body must not be cremated at some later date.

Five recognised children and six with filiation requests are part of a complex inheritance process in Argentina.

One of the six, Magalí Gil, 25, says she found out two years ago that the soccer icon was her biological father.

The ruling from the National Court of First Instance in Civil Matters No. 56 also said: "Ms. Gil requests that a study be carried out ... and that for this purpose the acting prosecutor's office send a DNA sample."

Maradona recognised four children in Argentina and one in Italy, which he had during his time as a player in the country.

(Reporting by Ramiro Scandolo in Buenos Aires, writing by Hugh Bronstein in Buenos Aires and Andrew Downie in London; Editing by Peter Rutherford)