Defence seeks acquittal of doctor in death of Argentina's Maradona

One of the lawyers for a doctor charged in the 2020 death of Argentinian football legend, Diego Maradona said his client, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, has been made a scapegoat.

During closing arguments on Wednesday in the trial which began in San Isidro in April, Francisco Oneto rejected the prosecution’s argument that the player’s death was foreseeable.

Lawyers for the neurosurgeon, who is accused of malpractice leading to the death of the footballer, has asked the court to dismiss criminal liability in the case.

Luque’s defence team said the case rested on a flawed premise and argued that insufficient evidence proved the doctor acted with intent.

“The last echocardiogram shows normal diameters. It did not show a dilated cardiomyopathy,” Oneto told the court.

He also argued that the 60-year-old was in good cardiovascular health and that other medical conditions were asymptomatic.

“Maradona did not die from a dilated cardiomyopathy. He dies from an acute and unforeseeable cardiac event, hence there is no negligence," said Oneto.

He added that Maradona’s family had agreed to his transfer to a home-care facility in Tigre and that Luque was not responsible for overseeing that care arrangement.

Prosecutors and lawyers representing Maradona’s family, however, argue that the medical team was negligent and have sought prison sentences for the defendants.

Maradona, widely regarded as one of soccer’s greatest players, died from heart failure while recovering from brain surgery at a rented home in Tigre, near Buenos Aires.

Seven members of his medical team are being tried on charges of gross negligence manslaughter, accused of providing inadequate care during his recovery.

The current trial began in April after the first trial was annulled in May 2025, when Judge Julieta Makintach stepped down over her involvement in a documentary about the proceedings, invalidating two months of hearings and dozens of witness testimonies.

The defendants deny wrongdoing and face prison sentences of up to 25 years if convicted.