A new trial examining the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona began Tuesday in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, nearly a year after the original proceedings collapsed in scandal.
Seven members of Maradona's medical team face charges of negligent homicide in connection with the 60-year-old's death on November 25, 2020. The defendants include neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, and psychologist Carlos Angel Diaz, among others who provided care during his final weeks.
The charges carry potential prison sentences between eight and 25 years under Argentina's "simple homicide with eventual intent" statute. Prosecutors argue the medical team's treatment was grossly negligent and that the home where Maradona recovered from brain surgery amounted to inadequate care.
Maradona died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema two weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain. He had been recovering at a private residence in Tigre, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires, under what prosecutors describe as substandard medical supervision.
The first trial, which began in March 2025, was annulled after two and a half months when Judge Julieta Makintach was found to have violated judicial rules. Video emerged showing her being interviewed by a documentary crew in courthouse corridors and her office, leading to her impeachment and removal from the case.
Al Jazeera frames the story through Maradona's global football legacy, emphasizing his iconic status and the massive public mourning that followed his death. The outlet contextualizes the legal proceedings within Argentina's broader relationship with its sporting heroes, treating the case as a significant cultural moment rather than purely a legal matter.