Argentine football legend Diego Maradona’s daughter, Dalma Maradona, delivered emotional testimony in a Buenos Aires court on Tuesday, asserting that her father’s death “would have been avoided” if his medical team had fulfilled their duties.
Maradona, who died on November 25, 2020, at age 60, was recovering at home from brain surgery to remove a blood clot. He had long battled cocaine and alcohol addiction.
Seven healthcare professionals including his neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, psychologist, and nursing staffare on trial for alleged criminal negligence and face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors accuse the team of “reckless” and “deficient” care, describing Maradona’s final days as a “horror theatre” and alleging he was abandoned to a “prolonged, agonizing period” before his death.
A 2021 panel of medical experts concluded Maradona would have had a better chance of survival with adequate treatment in a proper facility.
Dalma Maradona testified that the family was misled into believing home hospitalization was the only option, with assurances of 24-hour care and an ambulance on standby conditions she said were never met.
She described the environment as “disgusting” and “smelling of urine,” and said she was denied entry to see her father in his final days. Dalma also claimed the family was deceived “in the cruelest way” by the medical staff.
The main defendant, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, has argued that Maradona himself insisted on home care and was a difficult patient who resisted treatment.
All accused deny wrongdoing, maintaining that Maradona’s death was sudden and unavoidable.
The trial, which began in March 2025 after several delays, is expected to run until July and will hear from nearly 120 witnesses.
The outcome could have significant implications for medical accountability in Argentina, as Maradona’s death continues to resonate deeply in the nation and the global football community.
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