A new trial into the death of Argentine football icon Diego Maradona is set to begin on Tuesday, with seven members of his medical team facing charges of negligent homicide nearly a year after an earlier case ended in a mistrial.
Maradona, a towering figure in Argentina’s sporting history, died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack while recovering from brain surgery to remove a blood clot.
The trial will take place at a court in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, where judges will hear testimony from nearly 100 witnesses as they examine allegations of medical negligence in the treatment of the 1986 World Cup winner.
Seven defendants are accused in the case, including psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychologist Carlos Ángel Díaz, physician Nancy Edith Forlini, nurse Ricardo Almirón, head nurse Mariano Ariel Perroni, and physician Pedro Pablo Di Spagna. A separate jury trial will be held later for nurse Dahiana Madrid.
All members of Maradona’s medical team have denied wrongdoing.
The retrial follows the collapse of an earlier case last year, which ended in a mistrial after one of the judges resigned amid controversy over her involvement in a documentary filmed during court proceedings.
Despite the setback, much of the evidence—including testimony from Maradona’s children and former wife Claudia Villafañe—will be reconsidered in the new proceedings.
Prosecutors allege that medical staff failed to follow proper treatment protocols and described the conditions in which Maradona was recovering after surgery as a “theatre of horror.” They argue that he did not receive adequate care in the days leading up to his death.
The defence, however, maintains that Maradona’s death was inevitable due to his long history of serious health problems, including struggles with cocaine and alcohol addiction.
The negligence investigation began in 2021 after a medical board appointed by prosecutors concluded that the medical team acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless” manner.
If found guilty, the defendants could face prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years.
The case continues to draw intense public attention in Argentina, where Maradona remains a national sporting hero and cultural icon.