Diego Maradona's doctor is being investigated for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the soccer legend's death. Witnesses had reportedly seen a struggle between Maradona and his physician.
Image: Maxi Failla/AFP
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Diego Maradona's doctor is under investigation for involuntary manslaughter four days after the Argentine legend suffered a fatal heart attack, state news agency Telam has reported.
Police raided the home and clinic of Maradona's doctor Leopoldo Luque early Sunday, according to several local news outlets.
The raid came after witnesses reportedly told investigators they had seen a fight between Maradona and his 39-year-old personal physician, which allegedly included a shove.
The daily La Nacion newspaper cited a source as saying the searches were ordered as part of an investigation into "culpable homicide."
Maradona's personal physician Leopoldo LuqueImage: Enrique G. Medina/Agencia EFE/imago images
Court investigators have been taking declarations from Maradona's relatives, according to prosecutors overseeing the probe into the medical attention, the former Barcelona and Napoli forward received prior to his death.
Doctor responds to accusations
Luque gave an emotional response to the suspicions in a televised news conference, saying through tears: "You want to know what I am responsible for? For having loved him, for having taken care of him, for having extended his life, for having improved it to the end."
Maradona's personal doctor said that he had done "everything he could, up to the impossible" to save his "friend."
He also pointed to the fact that there should have been a defibrillator inside the soccer star's house as well as an ambulance parked outside, but that neither of those failures was up to him.
Luque declared his willingness to spontaneously give testimony in front of a judge even if he wasn't called in by investigators.
On November 11, Luque allowed Maradona to leave hospital eight days after undergoing brain surgery. At the time, the doctor published a photo of himself and his famous patient on Instagram, showing Maradona with a bandage on his head.
La Nacion reported that investigators were seeking to establish to what extent he was responsible for Maradona's care, and how often he went to check on his patient.
Luque was not at Maradona's home at the time of his death, but he did place a call to emergency services. Local media outlet Opinion Frontal has released an audio clip of that recording, in which Luque is heard calling an ambulance.
Maradona 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.
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.
