Diego Maradona's Medical Team Faces New Trial Over His Death

Diego Maradona death trial to restart in march 2026

Diego Maradona's medical team will face a new trial over his death after an initial proceeding was dismissed earlier this year.

He passed away at 60 due to heart failure complicated by acute pulmonary edema...

A new trial is set to commence on March 17, 2026, over the death of football icon Diego Maradona, as announced by an Argentine court document obtained by AFP. The trial will retry seven members of Maradona's health staff, who face allegations of negligence in connection with the football star's death in November 2020.

The defendants include Maradona's neurosurgeon and personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Diaz, nurses Gisella Madrid and Ricardo Almiron, their boss Mariano Perroni, and doctors Pedro Di Spagna and Nancy Forlini. If convicted of “homicide with possible intent,“ they could face prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years. The trial's outcome will depend on whether the court determines that the medical team's actions or omissions directly contributed to Maradona's demise.

The decision to retry the case comes after the initial trial was dismissed earlier this year due to a scandal involving one of the judges, Julieta Makintach, who was removed from the case after participating in a documentary about the trial. The new trial will be heard by a different panel of judges, and it's expected to be a lengthy process.

He passed away at 60 due to heart failure complicated by acute pulmonary edema, a condition characterized by fluid buildup in the lungs, just two weeks after undergoing brain surgery.

The initial trial had ended in collapse in May when one of the judges was found to have participated in a documentary about the case, raising concerns about impartiality. The other two judges subsequently recused themselves, leading to the appointment of a new three-judge panel in San Isidro in July to oversee a fresh trial.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for November 12th, as determined by the court. The medical team that treated Diego Maradona is set to face charges related to the circumstances surrounding his home convalescence. Prosecutors have alleged that the team was grossly negligent in their care.

If convicted of “homicide with possible intent,” the medical professionals could face prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years. This charge implies that they knowingly pursued a course of action that could lead to Maradona's death. An eighth defendant in the case will face a jury trial, adding another layer to the complex proceedings.