The trial of seven medical professionals accused of negligence in the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona begins Tuesday, marking a crucial chapter in the fallout from the 2020 tragedy that sent shockwaves across the football world.
Prosecutors argue that Maradona’s death at age 60, following a heart attack at his rented home in Tigre, was preventable and directly linked to medical malpractice.
The World Cup-winning icon had been recovering from brain surgery weeks before his sudden passing, yet a damning 2021 forensic report accused his caregivers of acting in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner.”
Seven of the eight medical staff originally charged – including his neurosurgeon, psychiatrist and several nurses – face trial for culpable homicide, a charge akin to involuntary manslaughter, carrying potential sentences of up to 25 years in prison.
The defendants deny wrongdoing, insisting Maradona was a difficult patient who rejected treatment.
The three-judge panel in Buenos Aires’ San Isidro district will weigh extensive evidence, including over 120,000 messages and audio recordings between doctors and caretakers, painting a picture of what prosecutors call gross negligence.
Maradona’s personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque, performed the surgery to remove a subdural hematoma on Nov. 3, 2020, and oversaw his transfer to home care.
However, concerns surfaced almost immediately over the rushed discharge.
A medical board reviewing the case found Maradona was left without essential monitoring equipment, such as a defibrillator and oxygen supply, despite his fragile condition.
Psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, who prescribed Maradona’s medications, is also on trial.
While toxicology reports found no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system, they detected psychotropic substances for anxiety and depression, raising questions about their effects on his health.
Other defendants include Carlos Diaz, an addiction specialist; Nancy Forlini, a doctor managing home care; Mariano Perroni, a nursing coordinator; and nurses Ricardo Almirón and Pedro Pablo Di Spagna.
A third nurse, Gisela Dahiana Madrid, requested a separate jury trial at a later date.
The forensic report exposed multiple red flags: Maradona suffered from “unusual body swelling,” a potential sign of heart failure, yet doctors failed to intervene.
He agonized for more than 12 hours before his fatal cardiac arrest. Crucially, he had not undergone heart or lab tests in the two weeks leading up to his death.
“The home confinement did not comply with norms and protocols,” the medical board’s report stated, criticizing the lack of urgent care when Maradona’s condition deteriorated.
The defense claims Maradona’s demise was unavoidable. “His death occurred unexpectedly, during sleep, with no time to intervene,” Luque stated.
Defense lawyers have commissioned an independent forensic study suggesting Maradona died suddenly and without prolonged suffering, contradicting the prosecution’s claims of negligence.
Luque also stressed that Maradona personally insisted on recovering at home, resisting hospitalization or intensive treatment.
Maradona, revered for leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, battled addiction, obesity and alcoholism for decades.
Near the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he secluded himself, exacerbating his depression and anxiety.
In early 2020, Luque diagnosed the former star with a brain bleed, leading to the emergency operation that set the stage for his final decline.
Following surgery, doctors advised rehab for his alcohol dependency, but Maradona refused inpatient care, opting instead for outpatient treatment at a home near his daughters. That decision, the prosecution argues, contributed to the fatal lapse in care.
The trial is set to run until July, with three hearings per week.
Prosecutors will begin by reading out the indictment, followed by testimonies from 110 witnesses.
After more than three months of proceedings, the court will schedule a verdict date. None of the accused are expected to be detained before or during the trial.
