Fresh inquiry launched into Diego Maradona's final hours

A fresh trial into the death of Argentine football icon Diego Maradona begins Tuesday, exactly one year after a judicial scandal derailed the original proceedings, according to BBC.

Maradona, widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, died in November 2020 at age 60, just two weeks after brain surgery, while recovering at a private home north of Buenos Aires.

The retrial, expected to hear from 120 witnesses, will again examine whether his seven-member medical team was culpable in his death from heart failure and acute pulmonary oedema, a dangerous buildup of fluid in the lungs, according to Reuters.

Prosecutors allege gross negligence in his post-operative care at a rented home in Tigre, a leafy suburb of the Argentine capital.

Seven defendants, including doctors, nurses, and a psychologist, face serious charges. A conviction could carry sentences of between eight and 25 years in prison. All have pleaded not guilty, maintaining Maradona died of natural causes amid a long struggle with cocaine and alcohol addiction.

The initial trial, which opened on March 11, 2025, unfolded amid high drama, with emotional testimony from his children and close associates.

However, proceedings collapsed in May 2025 after Judge Julieta Makintach was filmed participating in a documentary within court corridors, a breach of judicial ethics that led to her impeachment.

The retrial has renewed scrutiny of Maradona’s final days.

Reports indicate that after emergency surgery for a brain hematoma, he was discharged to the unconventional Tigre residence against medical advice.

Experts have pointed to the lack of round-the-clock monitoring, limited ambulance access, and lapses in medication and oxygen therapy.

One staff member claimed the football legend spent his final hours in severe distress.

Defence lawyers argue that decades of substance abuse and chronic health issues ultimately led to his death, disputing claims of medical negligence.

Maradona’s legacy remains towering. His 1986 “Hand of God” goal and World Cup triumph cemented his mythic status in Argentina, where he is revered as El Diego, with his death sparking массове street vigils.

In 2000, football’s governing body FIFA named him one of its two “Players of the Century”, alongside Brazil’s Pelé.