Maradona’s final days marked by preventable decline, court hears

A prominent cardiologist has told the trial into Diego Armando Maradona’s death that the football legend’s condition deteriorated gradually over more than 10 days, rather than ending in an unexpected medical event.

Dr Gustavo De Neiro said the warning signs should have been recognised by the medical team responsible for Maradona’s care in the final days of his life in 2020. He described the failure to respond to those signs as clear negligence that could have been avoided.

De Neiro gave evidence in San Isidro, north of Buenos Aires, where seven medical professionals are being tried over allegations of negligent homicide. The defendants include a neurosurgeon who was close to Maradona, a psychiatrist and several nurses.

“Any patient’s death is always preceded by warning signs that ring the alarm bell.. The medical team should have picked up those signals and changed the way they dealt with the case, but they did not,” De Neiro told the court.

The cardiologist said Maradona’s medical history, including previous heart problems, should have prompted a more urgent response. He also pointed to visible symptoms such as oedema and the build-up of fluid in the body.

According to De Neiro, those developments required Maradona to be transferred immediately from home care to a properly equipped specialist hospital. That transfer did not take place.

His testimony directly challenges the defence arguments put forward by some of the accused, who have maintained that Maradona’s death was sudden and could not have been prevented.

The evidence also matched earlier testimony from forensic doctor Carlos Cassinelli. Cassinelli said the medical team had ignored a series of serious symptoms, including breathing difficulties, high blood pressure and an increased heart rate.

He told the court that Maradona’s condition had continued to worsen for more than 10 days without any genuine medical intervention.

The former Argentina captain and World Cup winner died in November 2020, shortly after undergoing surgery for a brain blood clot. He was being treated at home at the time of his death.

The seven defendants deny the allegations. They argue that their roles were limited and that their actions were not directly connected to Maradona’s death.

If convicted, they could face prison sentences of up to 25 years.

The trial is examining whether the medical staff failed in their duties during Maradona’s final days and whether more effective treatment could have prevented his death. The latest testimony has placed particular focus on the alleged failure to act despite a pattern of worsening symptoms, rather than on the possibility of a sudden and unforeseeable collapse.