Justice Julieta Makintach arrives in court for a hearing during the trial of health professionals accused of negligence in the death of the football star Diego Maradona, in San Isidro, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
Gustavo Garello / AP
hide
tilting legend
Gustavo Garello / AP
Buenos Aires, Argentina – An Argentinian court said on Thursday a trial in the case of seven health professionals accused of negligence in the death of the legend of football Diego Maradona, the last round of the Soap -Over of the trial which pierced the world of football.
The judges judged that there would be a new trial, without specifying when.
The pivot comes after one of the three judges supervising the trial left the criticisms surrounding his participation in a next series of documentaries on the case, “Divine Justice”, which lasted the consequences of Maradona’s death, while scandals and suspicions of unfair play began to emerge, until the start of the trial.
By calling for the judge, Julieta Makintach, or challenged, the prosecutor presented the trailer for his documentary on Tuesday-a teaser with a and a half-minute who prohibits Maradona’s archive images marking emblematic goals of Makintach shots launching through the corridors of the suspension of Buenos in the high heels and a short skirt.
The prosecutor asked the judges to investigate the allegations according to which Makintach had violated the judicial ethics by authorizing a camera team inside the courthouse to filter it to supervise the heated audiences for the series of reality TV style.
While the claims made snowball in a national scandal, Makintach said on Tuesday that it had “no other choice” than to resign from the case.
The judges decided Thursday to try the whole case again, effectively overthrowing all the procedures since March 11, when the trial began in the midst of a meticulous media exam and called dozens of distraught witnesses to testify more than 21 hearing.
“Judge Makintach did not act in an impartial manner. His conduct harmed the complainants and the defense,” said judge Maximiliano Savarino, declaring the trial. “The only responsible person is the judge recused.”
He added: “It is an unpleasant decision.”
At the courthouse, two of the football star girls, Gianinna and Dalma Maradona, started to cry.
The decision questioned the trial calendar, which was originally to last until July. Thursday’s decision said that a senior court would select the three new judges by lottery “within a reasonable time”.
The case accuses the Maradona medical team of not providing adequate care to the football star in a few weeks preceding his sudden death on November 25, 2020. Maradona died at 60 years of cardiac arrest while recovering from a surgical intervention for a blood clot in the brain in a house rented outside Buenos Aires.
Although the case depends largely on medical technicalities, bihebdomedary testimonies have also become fodder at tabloids – like many in the life of Maradona, which included long waves of drugs and alcohol abuse.
Experts took the floor to allege that Maradona agonized for 12 hours before his death while her sisters and daughters accused his doctors of having left him alone when he should have been hospitalized.
The defendants, who deny all the accusations, were accused of guilty homicide, a crime similar to manslaughter insofar as he implies that the accused was aware of the risk caused by their reckless conduct and ignored him.
They include Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s main doctor at the time of his death, as well as his psychologist, psychiatrist, medical and nurses.
The crime brings a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The defendants say that Maradona was a difficult patient who did not allow himself to be treated.
Maradona, who led Argentina to victory at the 1986 World Cup, is considered one of the biggest football players of all time. His story of rags with the rich resounded with his Argentinian colleagues and he is largely venerated as a national hero.
