Diego Maradona trial latest: Seven medics accused of negligence after Argentine football icon’s death
A trial is set to begin for seven medics accused of negligence in their treatment of Argentine footballing icon Diego Maradona, who died in 2020.
Maradona, regarded as one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen, died aged 60 after suffering a heart attack in his sleep in November 2020.
Neurosurgeon and family doctor Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov are among the medics facing trial on negligence charges, which could see them imprisoned for up to 25 years.
They are accused of failing to properly care for the Argentine legend in his Buenos Aires home and of failing to adequately hospitalise him. An independent report by 20 medical professionals found that he could still be alive if he had been treated more effectively.
Maradona is a hero in Argentina, which was swept by an outpouring of emotion after his death. Mourners clashed with police outside the presidential palace as huge crowds tried to view his body lying in state.
His career peaked in the 1980s when he played for Italian club Napoli and led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986. But his life was marred by a long-term cocaine addiction which ledto him being banned from football twice in 1991 and 1994.
What failings are the medics accused of?
Maradona died in his sleep less than two weeks after being released from hospital where he had undergone brain surgery for a subdural hematoma.
An explosive medical report in 2021, a medical board made up of experts accused Maradona’s medical team of acting in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner”.
Experts questioned why he was released so soon from hospital after his brain operation when he was unable to care for himself – and had limited access to critical medical devices.
The report also concluded that the SSC Napoli legend could have still been alive were he adequately hospitalised after “signs of risk of life were ignored” by his medical team.
For instance, the report said, medics overlooked Maradona’s “unusual body swelling,” a sign of possible heart failure.
Maradona, who suffered from cardiac insufficiency and agonized for up to 12 hours, did not receive adequate treatment for a patient in his condition. Maradona had not undergone any heart or lab tests in the two weeks leading to his death.
Alex Croft11 March 2025 11:28
Full report: Maradona’s medics are set to go on trial over the Argentinian football legend’s death. His daughter claims there was a cover-up
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.
Read the full report here:
Alex Croft11 March 2025 09:50
Trial of doctors over Diego Maradona’s death set to begin
Seven medics alleged to be involved in the death of football legend Diego Maradona will go on trial today.
The case will capture the attention of a nation which adores one of the world’s greatest ever footballers, a cultural icon whose legacy in Argentina extended far beyond the football pitch.
If found guilty on the allegations of negligence – which they deny – the medics could face up to 25 years in prison.
The trial will be heard by a three-judge court in the suburb of San Isidro, Buenos Aires, and is expected to last until July with at least three hearings planned each week.
Alex Croft11 March 2025 09:48
