Revered like a saint. Maradona mural, Buenos Aires.
Credit: Ron Muralist, Instagram.
It has been more than 4 years since the death of footballing megastar Diego Maradona. Now, a trial has opened in San Isidro, just outside Buenos Aires, charging eight members of his medical team with ‘homicide by negligence.’
The case is expected to drag on for months and has reignited raw emotions in a nation where Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, remains a demigod of a figure. Affectionately dubbed ‘D10S’ – a play on the Spanish word for God – Diego Maradona died in November 2020 at age 60 from heart failure, days after brain surgery. His passing stunned Argentina, sparking mourning and outrage over his care during years of his fight against addiction and ill health.
Medical board accuse 4 doctors of reckless behaviour in Maradona death trial
A 2021 medical board investigation concluded his team acted in an ‘inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner,’ provoking demands for justice. ‘They killed him. Diego should be alive,’ said one market stallholder Luis Alberto Suarez, echoing sentiments of many fans gathered outside the courthouse. The trial at the San Isidro court, will hear nearly 120 testimonies, including from Maradona’s family and previous doctors. The defendants, including his neurosurgeon, psychologist, and nurses, face potential sentences of between eight to 25 years if convicted of ‘simple homicide with eventual intent.’ Most are pleading ‘innocent’ to the charges, with some arguing broader responsibility.
Maradona was found dead in bed two weeks after going under the knife, in a rented house in an exclusive Buenos Aires neighbourhood where he was brought after being discharged from hospital. He was found to have died of a heart attack. The night nurse said he had seen ‘warning signs’ but had received orders ‘not to wake’ him. The day nurse, who found Maradona dead, has asked to be tried by jury separately.
Maradona’s godlike reverence, clearly evident in tattoos, murals, and football match chants, clashes with frustration over his troubled final years, splitting public opinion between vengeance and doubt. As proceedings unfold, Argentina remains emotionally charged, still wrestling with the loss of its idol.
