“Justice for Diego!”: Maradona could have been killed by his own doctors
13 March 10:15
Seven of the eight medical workers who cared for Argentine football legend Diego Maradona in his last days will stand trial on Tuesday on charges of involuntary manslaughter and criminal negligence that led to his death. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi with reference to the BBC.
Maradona died of a heart attack at his home on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60. Before that, he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain and was treated for alcohol and drug addiction.
However, there are questions about the doctors who treated Maradona at the end of his life. The Argentine Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation immediately after the footballer’s death. In 2021, a commission of experts recognized the actions of doctors as “inadequate and irresponsible.” Before his death, Maradona was in 12 hours of agony, and his doctors were allegedly “reckless and indifferent” at the time. Experts concluded that Maradona would have had a better chance of survival if he had been treated in a proper medical facility.
The accused include neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, a psychiatrist and nurses. All of them deny their guilt. But if found guilty, they face eight to 25 years in prison.
The trial is taking place in the Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro. It is expected to last until July. More than a hundred witnesses, including Maradona’s family members and doctors who treated him over the years, will testify.
How Maradona was treated
According to the investigation, doctors insisted on home care that did not meet the necessary requirements. The home where Maradona was staying did not have a defibrillator or doctors specializing in the treatment of addictions.
Prosecutors claim that the footballer was effectively abandoned to his fate and went through a “long and painful period” before his death.
According to the lawyer of Maradona’s son, the case file contains audio and text messages that show that doctors tried to prevent his daughters from intervening for fear of losing financial gain.
Meanwhile, on the eve of the trial, graffiti appeared in Buenos Aires with the words “Justice for Diego!” Local residents emphasize that the football player “did not deserve to die like that” and the perpetrators must be punished.
Diego Maradona: the dossier
Diego Maradona is one of the most prominent figures in the history of football, a man whose name has become synonymous with genius on the field and controversy off it. Born in a poor neighborhood in Buenos Aires, he quickly became a football phenomenon who was able to decide the fate of a match single-handedly. He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, and others, but he is most associated with the Italian club, where he turned an outsider into a champion, twice leading them to victory in Serie A.
On the world stage, he went down in history thanks to the 1986 World Cup, where he was the main creator of Argentina’s victory. The match against England in the quarterfinals is forever etched in the memory of fans – first, his infamous “Hand of God” goal, and then, in a matter of minutes, a goal that is called the best in the history of World Cups, when he went halfway across the field, beating almost the entire opposing team. It was the high point of his career, the moment when he became a national hero and a god to the Argentines.
But along with his football fame, Maradona could not avoid problems in his life. His passion for entertainment, ties to the drug world, and addiction to cocaine became destructive. He was first suspended for drug use in 1991, and later, at the 1994 World Cup, he was caught using doping. These scandals and his persistent weight problems gradually eclipsed his football legacy, but did not diminish the love for him in Argentina.
Even after his retirement, he remained in the spotlight, working as a coach (even leading the Argentine national team), making loud statements and getting involved in various scandals. For many people, Maradona remained a player with a unique talent who lived his life the way he wanted to and left behind not only a sporting legacy but also a controversial and unforgettable life story.
