ESPN Deportes Exclusive Interview With Soccer Legend Diego Maradona.

ESPN Deportes will feature a special one-hour edition of Perfiles featuring soccer legend Diego Maradona on Sunday, March 7 at 10 p.m. ET.

The retired 43-year old Maradona, widely regarded as one of the finest players ever, was interviewed by ESPN commentator Quique Wolff in Cuba, where Maradona has lived for the past four years recovering from drug abuse and heart ailments.

Highlights from the ESPN Deportes Perfiles Interview Featuring Diego Maradona:

Quique Wolff: Often times you’ve said that the worst battle you have ever had has been your battle against drugs. You have continued this battle in CubaHow are you doing?

Maradona: “Yes, I am doing well in Cuba, but I have had to fight hard, and believe me it’s very hard…like if you are losing the match and you really want to win that match…but there is nobody to help you. There is nobody to support you.”

Quique Wolff: In 1993, Argentina was struggling to qualify for the ’94 World Cup and had to go to Australia to play a key match. What was your take on that match?

Maradona: “It was very suspicious. I’m not saying anybody on our team was doing drugs at the time, but they didn’t test us for drugs. But it was very suspicious that the FIFA vice-president at the time was also the president of the Argentine federation. I am not the only one saying this, it was said by the Australians and the Japanese too.”

Quique Wolff: While playing with Napoli in 1991 you were suspended for doping. You have said the suspension was revenge for playing for Argentina in the 1990 World Cup and eliminating Italy from the tournament.

Maradona: “I believe so. I believe they (the Mafia) lost a lot of money when Italy was eliminated…hundreds of millions of dollars by some estimates. The mafia was enraged with me.”

Quique Wolff: Tell me more about this suspension.

Maradona: “They found a small amount of cocaine and suspended me for more than a year. It was just an excuse to get me out of football forever. They hoped they would find me dead on a street corner.”

Quique Wolff: What did you say to your teammates before your last game as a player in 1997. I heard there were allot of tears.

Maradona: “Yes, we all cried. I spoke to each one individually. I was saying good-bye to the game and I knew I wasn’t going to wear the jersey anymore.”

ESPNdeportes.com will complement the Maradona interview with an extensive photo gallery, video clips, transcript excerpts, telecast listings, and much more. Quique Wolff will also host a chat on his interview with Maradona on Friday, March 5 at 1 p.m. ET.