MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th October, 2020) Diego Maradona, a renowned football player who led Argentina's national team to victory in 1986 FIFA World Cup, said on Friday he believed in Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply a coronavirus vaccine soon.
This past Wednesday, the football legend had to self-isolate after coming into contact with a coronavirus-positive person, his bodyguard.
"I believe in Putin. I am convinced that he will soon have a vaccine, because this [the pandemic] is no longer tolerable," Maradona told Argentine daily Clarin.
According to the footballer, the pandemic is the worst thing that could happen to Latin America.
"I have never seen anything like this, and Latin America was affected much worse. I wish this all ends soon. So many people were affected, many were left jobless and do not know how to make a living," Maradona added.
On August 11, the Russian-developed Sputnik V vaccine became the world's first officially-registered coronavirus vaccine. It is now in the phase 3 clinical trials. Since then, Russia has registered another COVID-19 vaccine with a different action mechanism and is underway developing a few more.
On October 19, Russian Direct Investment Fund Head Kirill Dmitriev said that the agency was in talks with Argentina and Peru on supplies of the Sputnik V vaccine for clinical trials, to begin most likely in December. Deals were already inked with Brazil and Mexico.
