Darkness fell over the leafy surroundings of the Bellavista Cemetery in Buenos Aires when the funeral was held for football legend Diego Maradona on Thursday night, local time.

It was a private religious ceremony attended by family and close friends.

- I thought Diego was immortal, I never thought he would die from us.

I feel a terrible sadness over a person who made us so happy, says Antonio Avila, a 63-year-old bus driver, outside the cemetery.

The peaceful funeral stood in stark contrast to the scenes that took place inside Buenos Aires during the day.

Riots broke out when tens of thousands of people in long queues tried to take the chance to say goodbye to their football god, who before he was taken to the cemetery lay on the trust of the parade in the presidential palace Casa Rosada.

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Chaos at the presidential palace when fans would say goodbye to Maradona.

Photo: News agency TT.

Police tried to stop the crowd barriers and used both tear gas and fired rubber bullets, while some fans managed to get into the presidential palace through what was supposed to be the end of the bereaved.

Maradona's coffin, wrapped in the Argentine flag and his jersey number 10, was moved to another room in the presidential palace.

Three days of national mourning were announced on Wednesday, in connection with the news that Diego Maradona died of a heart attack, 60 years old.