'Maradona began to die 12 hours before passing' - Second trial begins in Buenos Aires over responsibility for death of football legend

"The second trial over the death of Argentine icon Diego Armando Maradona took place this Tuesday, as accusations over foul play were exchanged between the prosecution and defence teams. The proceedings seek to determine whether the former footballer’s medical team was responsible for his death in November 2020. During the opening, Deputy Attorney General Patricio Ferrari stated that the case is based on a hypothesis of homicide with eventual intent, and said that the evidence, including telephone communications, will make it possible to establish "what the defendants knew, thought and did, and rather, did not do". Ferrari, in stronger terms, added that the Argentine star "began to die 12 hours before he passed away". "Anyone who had thought of transferring him in his final week to a clinic, in a car or an ambulance would have saved his life," he said. Deputy Attorney General Cosme Iribarren stated that neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov allegedly arranged home hospitalisation without adequate medical conditions, omitting essential monitoring and restricting access for medical staff. "Dr Leopoldo Luque and Agustina Cosachov are accused of having arranged the transfer on 11 November without the basic requirements for the treatment that needed to be carried out in relation to Diego Armando Maradona," Iribarren said. Meanwhile, lawyer Fernando Burlando, representing the former footballer’s daughters, said that Maradona "had thousands of chances of survival" and alleged that he was the victim of negligent and deliberate conduct. "He was murdered," he told the court. In contrast, Luque’s defence rejected the accusations. His lawyer, Roberto Rallin, argued that Maradona was capable of making decisions about his health, despite his addictions, and denied that his death was the result of a medical act or omission. The trial, taking place at Criminal Court No. 7 in San Isidro, will include dozens of witnesses and expert reports, in proceedings that could last several months and continue to draw significant media attention in Argentina and around the world."

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