Medical staff face trial over Diego Maradona death
June 22, 2022
Argentine judicial authorities are set to put eight people on trial over alleged failures in the care of Argentine football star Diego Maradona.
Maradona died in 2020 after a period of home hospitalizationImage: Martin Rickett/PA/picture alliance
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Argentine judicial authorities are set to put eight people on trial over alleged failures in the care of football star Diego Maradona, a court ruled on Wednesday.
The medical staff are to be tried for "simple homicide with probable intention" in relation to the death of the Argentine football legend in November 2020.
What are the defendants accused of?
Prosecutors say it is due to "omissions" by caregivers who abandoned him "to his fate" during home hospitalization.
The eight people under investigation include neurosurgeon Leopold Luque, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and other doctors and nurses who coordinated Maradona's care.
Prosecutors say mismanagement by the medical team had placed the football legend in a "situation of helplessness."
The accused face sentences ranging from eight to 25 years in prison. The prosecution claims they were "the protagonists of an unprecedented, totally deficient and reckless hospitalization at home"
No date has been set for the trial.
Diego Maradona: Sports world pays tribute to soccer legend
Game-day tributes and commemorations for one of football's greatest-ever stars have taken place in stadiums around the world. Athletes paid their respects in a myriad of ways, albeit from stadiums without fans.
Image: Thibault Camus/AP/dpa/picture alliance
World mourns the loss of a legend
On the first weekend following Diego Maradona's death, athletes from around the world paid tribute to football's legendary Number 10. The Argentine died on November 25 from a heart attack at the age of 60. The commemorations, which took place mostly in empty stadiums, lost none of their emotional poignancy.
Image: Ciro Fusco/ANSA/picture alliance
Respect on the field
The methods of remembering one of soccer's all-time greats varied from stadium to stadium. Teams from England's Premier League held a minute's applause while some also wore a black armband as a show of mourning. Manchester City and Burnley players clapped as they watched a video of Maradona's two famous goals which knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup.
Image: John Patrick Fletcher/picture alliance
Under Maradona's gaze
Players from French top teams Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain held a minute's silence while standing in the formation of the letter "M." Both clubs also hung banners saying "Adios." The Argentine ambassador to France, Leonardo Constantino, unfurled his country's national flag from the Parc des Princes stadium.
Image: Thibault Camus/AP/dpa/picture alliance
'Ciao Diego'
Players held a minute's silence in Germany and other European countries, too — with Maradona's jersey on display during a Borussia Dortmund match. Maradona played for teams in Italy and Spain, notably Naples and Barcelona. Italian players also wore black armbands while stadiums projected Maradona's face on screens during the 10th minute of the game in recognition of his shirt number.
Image: Martin Meissner/AP Photo/picture alliance
'Hand of God'
Maradona was among the cutout fans in the stands at Portman Road Stadium. He scored two goals against England in the 1982 World Cup in Mexico. One is famously known as the "Hand of God" after the Argentine's hand knocked the ball into the net — a foul that went unpenalized. The other went down as FIFA's goal of the century. The football star was beloved for his dominance and flair on the field.
Image: Steven Paston/empics/picture alliance
A loss felt beyond football
The tributes weren't limited to football matches. Before their Tri-Nations game against Argentina, the New Zealand Rugby team laid an All Blacks shirt with Maradona's name and famous number 10 printed on it in the middle of the field. Argentine players nodded in recognition of the commemorative act.
Image: Rick Rycroft/AP Photo/picture alliance
A fitting farewell
Kylian MBappe of Paris Saint-Germain donned a special T-shirt with the soccer legend's face and the words "Rest in peace" in Spanish. Sevilla football club in Spain appeared at their match on Saturday wearing reproductions of the shirts from the season when Maradona played there, with all the players sporting the number 10 during the minute's silence.
Image: David Niviere/abaca/picture alliance
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A national icon
The World Cup winner at Mexico 1986 was widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, particularly for his skill with the ball at his feet.
He was the joint winner of the FIFA player of the century title, alongside Pele.
He died aged 60 in a private residence north of Buenos Aires, a few weeks after undergoing brain surgery. His death sparked a national period of mourning.
The former Napoli, Boca Juniors and Barcelona player was initially hospitalized because of a blood clot in his brain. He suffered from serious health problems for many years, including multiple heart attacks, hepatitis and a gastric bypass due to his issues with his weight.
