Four years after the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, seven healthcare professionals are set to stand trial, accused of negligence during his final days. The trial, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 11, in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, will span four months and feature testimony from over 100 witnesses, including Maradona’s family members and doctors who treated him over the years.
The defendants face potential prison sentences of eight to 25 years if convicted. Maradona, who struggled with cocaine and alcohol addiction for decades, died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, while recovering from brain surgery for a blood clot. He was found dead in bed at a rented house in an upscale Buenos Aires neighborhood, where he had been moved after being discharged from the hospital two weeks earlier. The cause of death was determined to be a heart attack.
A night nurse responsible for his care claimed to have noticed “warning signs” but said he had “received orders not to wake him up.” Maradona’s death, occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, plunged Argentina into mourning, with tens of thousands of fans paying their respects as his body lay in state at the presidential palace.
The defendants include neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Diaz, medical coordinator Nancy Forlini, nursing coordinator Mariano Perroni, doctor Pedro Pablo Di Spagna, and nurse Ricardo Almiro. Another nurse, Gisela Dahiana Madrid, has requested a separate jury trial, set for July.
Prosecutors allege the medical team provided “reckless” and “deficient” home treatment, claiming Maradona was abandoned to his fate for a “prolonged, agonizing period” before his death. A panel of 20 medical experts convened in 2021 concluded that Maradona “would have had a better chance of survival” with proper care in a medical facility.
The investigating magistrate stated that each defendant played a role in the events leading to Maradona’s death, though all deny responsibility. Vadim Mischanchuk, lawyer for psychiatrist Cosachov, expressed optimism for acquittal, arguing his client was responsible for Maradona’s mental health, not his physical condition.
Maradona’s family claims leaked audio and text messages reveal his health was in imminent danger. Mario Baudry, a lawyer representing Maradona’s son, Dieguito, alleged the medical team worked to prevent his daughters from intervening, fearing they would lose financial benefits.
Maradona remains a revered figure in Argentina, immortalized in murals, statues, and tattoos. Plans for a mausoleum in Buenos Aires, expected to attract up to a million visitors annually, are underway. “We want our father to be close to the love of the people,” said his daughter Dalma Maradona in a video presentation of the site.
