Diego Maradona trial: Medics on trial over Argentine football legend’s death as his daughter claims ‘cover-up’

Seven doctors and nurses will go on trial on Monday accused of playing a role in the death of Argentine footballing icon Diego Maradona.

Neurosurgeon and family doctor Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov are among the medical professionals facing trial on negligence charges.

Maradona died aged 60 on 25 November 2020 after suffering a cardiac arrest while sleeping in his home of Dique Luján, Buenos Aires Province.

Three days of national mourning were declared after the 1986 World Cup winner’s death. Huge crowds of mourners queued for more than a kilometre to see his body lie in state in the presidential palace, some clashing with police in emotional scenes as they tried to close the palace.

The trial has been delayed twice after it was initially meant to begin on June 4, and could see the medics face up to 25 years in prison.

Maradona, who battled cocaine and alcohol addiction for decades, died in his sleep less than two weeks after being released from hospital where he had undergone brain surgery for a subdural hematoma.

In the days immediately following his death, the country was consumed by questions about his final, perplexing hours. The frenzied suspicion intensified when police officers raided his doctors’ homes and offices – and Maradona’s family pressed the judiciary to intervene.

A medical report after his death found that Maradona suffered from cardiac insufficiency and agonized for up to 12 hours – adding that he did not receive adequate treatment for a patient in his condition.

Drawn up over two months by a 20-strong medical panel, the report concluded that SSC Napoli legend could have still been alive had he been adequately hospitalised, after “signs of risk of life were ignored”.

Inadequate care at his suburban Buenos Aires home, delayed hospitalisation and over-medication of Maradona are among the allegations the medical team faces.

Prosecutors brought charges of homicide by negligence against his medical team, which also included psychologist Carlos Díaz, doctors Nancy Forlini and Pedro Di Spagna, nursing coordinator Mariano Perroni and nurses Ricardo Almirón and Dahiana Madrid.

Maradona’s daughter, Dalma, has recently claimed that compromising audios show the possibility of a cover-up and professional negligence, she told Angel Responde according to Diario Registrado.

She called for justice days before the trial opens and even implied she faces the threat of “mafia” after publicly speaking out about her father’s case. “I know who I’m up against, but I can’t stay silent. We need people to know the truth,” she said.

Maradona was born in 1960 in Buenos Aires, and grew up in a deprived area of the Argentinian capital’s southern suburbs.

He made his professional debut aged just 15 and was quickly recognised as one of the world’s hottest footballing prospects, joining Boca Juniors in 1981 before becoming the world’s most expensive player when he joined Barcelona for a reported £5 million ($7.6 million).

The Argentine most famously played for Napoli becoming the star figure in the Italian club’s most successful era as he captained the team to five major trophies, including their first two league titles.

But the crowning moment of his career came in summer 1986, when he captained Argentina to World Cup glory. Maradona took the tournament in Mexico by storm, producing what is regarded as one of the greatest World Cup showings of all time.

The tournament saw one of the most famous games of his career, in which he scored the ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in a 2-1 quarter-final win, four minutes before scoring a solo goal later voted the greatest goal in World Cup history.

It was this World Cup win that many said set Maradona apart from Lionel Messi as Argentina’s greatest player – until Argentina took the trophy again in 2022.

But Maradona’s remarkable career was marred by problems with substance abuse. His addiction to cocaine began in the mid-1980s and lasted for decades, leading to him being banned from football twice in 1991 and 1994.

Little could have changed the admiration Maradona enjoyed from the Argentinian population, for a man who was politically outspoken on issues including the Middle East, US hegemony and even Russian president Vladimir Putin – who he praised in 2017.

The trial of the eight medics will begin on March 11.