Trial Begins in Argentina Over the Death of Football Legend Diego Maradona

Argentina has commenced the long-awaited trial of the medical team responsible for football icon Diego Maradona, more than four years after his passing in 2020. This case has stirred deep emotions in the South American nation where the World Cup champion remains venerated.

On Tuesday, Maradona's family, along with his lawyers and the former nurses, brain surgeon, and psychiatrist accused of negligent homicide, gathered at the court located on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. The proceedings are anticipated to unfold as a dramatic and lengthy saga.

Outside the San Isidro appeals court, supporters displayed placards proclaiming "Justice for D10S," a phrase that plays on Maradona's jersey number combined with the Spanish term for God.

Regarded as one of the greatest football players ever, Maradona has been immortalized throughout Argentina in vast murals and tattoos.

The trial involves seven members of the medical team and is expected to span several months, while an eighth member is set to face a jury trial in July.

Maradona passed away at home in November 2020 at the age of 60 due to heart failure, shortly after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot. The medical team has denied the charges of "simple homicide with eventual intent" regarding the treatment provided to the former Boca Juniors and Napoli star.

During the proceedings, prosecutors presented an indictment to a full courtroom that included Maradona's ex-wife and several of his children, describing the care conditions he received as "calamitous, reckless, deficient, unprecedented."

They claimed that medical professionals deviated from established protocols, characterizing the environment of Maradona’s home during his recovery as a "theater of horror" where necessary actions were neglected.

The defense attorney for neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque asserted that Maradona’s home hospitalization was mutually agreed upon by the doctors and family. According to lawyer Mara Digiuni, there was no misconduct because Maradona's death resulted from an "unforeseeable" cardiac event.

"New evidence proves that there is no criminal responsibility for Maradona's death on the part of any of the accused," stated a lawyer for psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov as they entered the courthouse.

Should they be found guilty, the accused could face prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years.

Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News