Seven doctors who treated Argentinian soccer icon Diego Armando Maradona are on trial for homicide, which began on Tuesday, March 11. The case is focusing on allegations of negligence by the medical team that may have contributed to the Argentinian star’s death in 2020 at the age of 60.
Maradona’s death triggered widespread grief in Argentina and the global football community. Among the most notable tributes include one of his former clubs, Napoli, who renamed their stadium after the Argentine great.
Prosecutors argue that Maradona’s death is due to his doctor’s negligence
Maradona died after suffering a heart attack at his rented house in Tigre, one of Buenos Aires’s most affluent districts. He was recovering from surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain, which he endured some weeks earlier.
The Argentine legend had also allegedly come close to death in 2000 and 2004 whilst he was struggling with drug addiction, obesity and alcoholism.
Diego Maradona is still known as one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He led Argentina to their second World Cup title in 1986 by beating Germany in the final and Napoli to two Italian Serie A titles in an era dominated by northern Italian clubs like Juventus, Milan, and Inter.
Argentina began a long-awaited trial of the medical team for soccer star Diego Maradona, who died in 2020 in a case that has riled emotions in the South American country where the World Cup winner is revered https://t.co/agCRAJ2HKc pic.twitter.com/RrfHfspQch
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 11, 2025
Amongst those accused is Maradona’s neurologist Leopoldo Luque, who was the Argentinian’s personal doctor for years and performed the surgery that removed a blood clot from his brain.
Seven of the eight doctors who treated Maradona will face trial
Out of the eight doctors that treated the Argentine, seven face trial for culpable homicide, which would equate to involuntary manslaughter elsewhere in the world. Amongst those facing charges are Maradona’s brain surgeon, psychiatrist and nurses.
Those involved deny any negligence and wrongdoing, but if found guilty could face up to 25 years in prison. A three-judge court will hear the arguments in Buenos Aires.
The accusations of negligence emerged after the prosecutor’s office assembled a team of medical experts to see if Maradona’s medical team could be charged with manslaughter. In a 2021 report produced by the team, they accused Maradona’s medics of acting in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner,” adding, The home confinement did not comply with norms and protocols.”
The report also said the team overlooked Maradona’s unusual body swelling, which is a sign of possible heart failure. Legal experts agree that the trial is expected to last until July, with prosecutors reading out the indictment before witnesses give their testimony before the court.
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