The trial of Maradona’s death began – in the doctrine his doctors

Four years, three months and fourteen days after his death, justice time arrived. accused of criminal negligence in the care of the legendary Argentine footballer. The trial, which began on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, is expected to last four months, with more than 100 witnesses testifying what really happened in the last days of the “god” of football.

On November 25, 2020, Argentina froze. Maradona, the eternal symbol of the country, the man who led her to the top of the world in 1986, suddenly passed away. As has been announced, the cause of his death was a heart attack. However, behind this seemingly “expected” development for a man who fought for decades with alcohol and cocaine addiction, something darker was hidden: neglect, indifference and, as prosecutors say, a slow, excruciating death.

Although he had undergone a serious head in the head of the brain, Maradona had been transferred to a rented house in the Tigre area, outside Buenos Aires, and there was serious negligence in his care. According to Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari, doctors knew that Maradona was not in full use of his spiritual abilities and that he was unable to decide on his home hospital.

The seven defendants include his neurosurgeon, Leopold Luke, the psychiatrist Angustina Kosatsov, the psychologist Carlos Dia, the medical coordinator Nancy Frellini, the chief of the nurses Mariano Perion, the clinician Dr. The categories include homicide by negligence, with prison sentences from 8 to 25 years. An eighth defendant, nurse Dachiana Madrid, will be tried separately in July, according to local media. The researchers described the case in 2021 as negligent homicide, a crime similar to unintentional homicide because they found that the defendants were aware of the seriousness of Maradona’s health and did not take the necessary steps to save him. There are even audio documents that show that the team of doctors wanted to prevent Maradona’s daughters from engaging in care, fearing that this would endanger their financial earnings.

The prosecutor said the doctors knew that Maradona would “die” and that they did nothing to prevent it. One of the most shocking snapshots in the hearing was the presentation of an image of Maradona in his bed, with his belly abnormally swollen. “There is more than enough evidence to prove that Diego was not treated properly,” said Mario Baudri, a lawyer for his son Maradona, who, along with other relatives, promoted the media case. “Let’s hope that justice will be attributed, this is what we all want,” the lawyer added.

During the trial, the prosecution of the authority focused on the conditions of the house where Maradona was recovering. The house, which was chosen for its rehabilitation after surgery, was described as a “home of terror”. This phraseology, which had not been mentioned in the original text, attributes the inappropriate condition of the space, which did not meet the necessary specifications for the hospitality of a severe patient. The house, although apparently luxurious, did not have the required medical infrastructure, resulting in deficiency in the health care services provided.

Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari, during the trial, argued that Maradona’s doctors and relatives had “consciously and cynically” abandoned the most critical phase of his recovery. The prosecutor stressed that, despite the awareness of Maradona’s serious health problems, those who were responsible for his care chose to leave him without the necessary medical monitoring and support. This category is directly linked to the inability to ensure proper treatment, despite the criticality of its condition. Ferrari argued that, knowing the crucial situation, the defendants decided to indifferent to his health, resulting in his slow and painful death, which constitutes a “conscious abandonment” of his life.

Diego Maradona’s figure in Argentina has evolved into more than simple football cult. El pibe de oro, that is “The Golden Boy,” his compatriots called him. After his death, his image has acquired an almost religious-magical dimension, which refers to phenomena we have seen in other countries with politicians or other historical figures, such as in China with Mao Cesun or Colombia with Pablo Escobar. In the case of Maradona, his worship transcends the borders of sport and touches the spheres of Argentina’s social and political identity, with himself becoming a symbol of resistance, humility and triumph.

For many, Maradona represents the Argentinean soul, the hopes and dreams of a people who have experienced many social and political upheavals. His course, from the poor suburbs of Buenos Aires to the winning World Cup in 1986, was a triumph for the nation and made him be considered something like a popular hero or even a “demigod” in the eyes of his millions of fans. Due to his origin, his memory is closely linked to the identity of the poorer strata in the country. Songs were written in his honor, theatrical performances based on his athletic achievements, his frescoes appear around the world, even more after his death. His statues are in cities where he had no athletic presence, such as the one in Calcutta, India, which he himself inaugurated in 2017. Hundreds of tattoos with his image adorn the Argentine bodies, who, in the same way that religious people have signs of their faith, choose to “choose”. The above are symbols of identity, a faith and a collective memory associated with the joys and sorrows of the people.

Uruguayan writer Edward Galeano had written that “”. Regarding the idolatry in Argentina, his former teammate, Jorge Waldano, told the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung in June 2006: “Maradona was more than just a great footballer. It was an excellent factor in compensation for a country that in a few years experienced several military dictatorships and social frustrations of all kinds. Maradona offered the Argentines a way out of his collective disappointment and that is why people worship him there as a divine figure. “

It should also be noted that there is even a Maradonian Church, founded in 1998 in Rosario and recognizes in 1961 to the year 1 MN (after Diego), marking the principle of the “Maradonian era”. The faithful of the Church consider Maradona not just athletic hero, but a divine form, and the examples of this worship are impressive. In 2004, during his hospitalization, his followers showed their dedication, placing posters outside his clinic with messages such as “God does not want competition” and “Jesus was resurrected once. You thousands. “

Thus, this trial is not just a legal affair. It is a social event, a moment of deep introspection for Argentina. In the heart of Buenos Aires, a huge mausoleum prepares to host his memory. “We want our father to be close to the people who loved him,” says his daughter, Dalma Maradona. It is expected that up to one million visitors a year will pass there to pay tribute to the eternal Diego. But at the same time, the rage is boiling. “If they had taken care of him properly, he would still live,” says one of the thousands who left flowers outside Maradona’s house on the day he died.

His family, present in court, expressed his despair for his loss and the search for justice. His daughter, Dalma, said: “We want our father to be justified.” Outside of the San Isidros Court of Appeal, the fans held placards with the message “Justice for the D10s”, using a nickname based on the number of Maradona’s jersey and the word “god” (DIOS) in Spanish. “They killed him and today they should pay for it here,” said Maradona’s friend Sergio Jimenez outside the court.

As mentioned, the procedure can take up to four months, with 110 witnesses and the possible publication of the final results in July 2025. Although the defense argues that Maradona’s death was inevitable and that the care provided by the doctors was provided by the doctors.