A new trial has commenced over the death of legendary Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, with seven members of his former medical team facing charges of negligent homicide.
The retrial comes nearly a year after the first case ended in a mistrial. The San Isidro court, near Buenos Aires, will hear testimony from nearly 100 witnesses, including Maradona’s children and former wife, Claudia Villafañe, as it examines whether proper care was provided during the football star’s final days.
The defendants are:
- Psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov
- Neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque
- Psychologist Carlos Ángel Díaz
- Physicians Nancy Edith Forlini and Pedro Pablo Di Spagna
- Nurse Ricardo Almirón
- Head Nurse Mariano Ariel Perroni
An eighth defendant, nurse Dahiana Madrid, will face a separate jury trial at a later date.
The initial trial began in March last year but ended after Judge Julieta Makintach resigned, following the release of video footage showing her being interviewed for a documentary inside the courthouse — a breach of judicial rules.
Prosecutors argued that Maradona’s medical team violated treatment protocols, and that the home where he recovered after surgery was inadequate, describing it as a “theatre of horror.” The defence countered that Maradona’s death was inevitable, citing his longstanding health issues and decades of cocaine and alcohol addiction.
The negligence charges were first brought in 2021 after a medical board investigation concluded that the team acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless” manner.
The retrial requires both prosecutors and defence lawyers to reassess their strategies. Observers expect the trial to attract global attention, reflecting the football legend’s enduring influence and the controversy surrounding his death.
