More than five years after Diego Maradona’s death sent shockwaves through football, the case surrounding his final days has reached a decisive stage in Argentina. Prosecutors on Thursday requested prison terms ranging from four to 12 years for the medical professionals who cared for the former Napoli and Argentina icon.
Seven members of Maradona’s medical team have been on trial since April over alleged fatal negligence: doctors, a psychiatrist, a psychologist and nurses. The court will deliver its verdict at a later date.
Maradona died in November 2020, aged 60, while recovering at a private residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires. He had recently undergone what was described as minor neurosurgery when he suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest accompanied by pulmonary oedema.
Prosecution alleges abandonment
After six months of hearings, the prosecution argued that the evidence had revealed a disorganised and inadequate medical structure around Maradona during his recovery. Prosecutors said the arrangement had left the World Cup winner in a state of abandonment, effectively left to his own fate before his death.
The requested sentences underline the severity with which the prosecution views the alleged failures in the care provided to one of football’s most celebrated figures. The seven defendants now await the court’s decision in a case that has kept the circumstances of Maradona’s final hours under intense scrutiny.
