Maradona (foto: Getty Images)
Diego Maradona's death retrial starts in Argentina, with medical staff facing negligence charges and a new focus on shocking details from his final days.
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A new trial into the death of Diego Maradona has begun in Argentina, reopening one of football’s most disturbing and controversial cases.
The 1986 World Cup winner died in 2020 at the age of 60 while recovering from brain surgery. Prosecutors claim he was left in conditions described as a “house of horror”, with serious failures in medical care.
Seven members of his medical team are now on trial for negligent homicide. They include Leopoldo Luque, Agustina Cosachov, Carlos Ángel Díaz, Nancy Forlini, Ricardo Almirón, Mariano Perroni, and Pedro Di Spagna. An eighth defendant, Dahiana Madrid, will face a separate jury trial.
All defendants deny wrongdoing.
The retrial comes after the original case collapsed last year. Judge Julieta Makintach stepped down after participating in a documentary filmed during the proceedings, which breached judicial rules and forced a mistrial.
The new hearings will take place in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, with nearly 100 witnesses expected to testify.
Prosecutors repeat serious allegations
During the first trial, prosecutors described Maradona’s final days as deeply troubling. They argued that his care was “inappropriate, deficient and reckless”.
Chief prosecutor Patricio Ferrari presented a stark image of Maradona’s final condition, telling the court:
"This is the way he died. In that house, no one did what they had to do."
Medical evidence also raised concerns. Experts said Maradona had a severely enlarged heart, more than twice the normal size. He suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy, cirrhosis, and myocarditis.
Testimony claimed he lay in pain for hours before his fatal heart attack, alone in a dark room.
Other allegations shocked the public. Reports suggested he was allowed to consume alcohol during recovery and received medication in unsafe ways. There were also claims about poor hygiene and inadequate supervision.
Defense argues death was inevitable
The defense maintains that Maradona’s death could not have been prevented due to his serious long-term health issues.
They point to his history of substance abuse and chronic medical conditions as the key factors behind his death.
If convicted, the accused face between 8 and 25 years in prison.
A global icon at the center of tragedy
Diego Maradona remains one of football’s greatest figures. He led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, scoring the famous “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century” against England.
His influence reached generations, including players like Lionel Messi, but his final years reflected a stark contrast to his brilliance on the pitch.
The retrial now aims to answer one central question: whether the man who defined an era of football failed in his final days.