DUBAI (AFP) - Police in Dubai have issued an arrest warrant against the ex-girlfriend of football legend Diego Maradona whom he has accused of stealing, a newspaper reported on Monday.

The Argentine footballer, 53, whose personal life has not been short on drama, charges that Rocio Oliva, 22, made off with items including watches and diamond earrings.

The footballer last month travelled to Dubai, where he lived with Oliva, to file the suit in the country where he was hired as a sports promoter.

"Prosecutors issued a search and arrest warrant in the suspect's name on July 9," a chief prosecutor told the Gulf News. "We will be communicating with Interpol seeking to prosecute her internationally and have her repatriated to Dubai for further legal action," the prosecutor said.

A footballer herself, Oliva is back in Argentina and denies the allegations. She has charged that Maradona struck her.

The two were spotted last month in Rio de Janeiro and reportedly tried unsuccessfully to patch things up.