MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gruesome picture of Maradona's dead body shown on first day of trial

The medical team is being held accountable for letting Maradona develop those lethal conditions instead of keeping him hospitalized

A gruesome picture of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona with his torso visibly swollen was shown Tuesday as prosecutors intended to prove that the patient could have stood a better chance of survival had he remained hospitalized and not set up at a house he rented for what was going to be his recovery after brain surgery. This image caused an emotional reaction in the courtroom, particularly among Maradona’s daughters Dalma and Gianina, who were present. Verónica Ojeda, Maradona's ex-partner, also had an incident when she rebuked one of the accused doctors before the beginning of the hearings.

Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari contended that the medical team led by surgeon Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov had neglected and abandoned Maradona during his final days in November of 2020, particularly given his pre-existing conditions, resulting in death from a cardiorespiratory arrest caused by acute pulmonary edema and chronic heart failure. “That's how he died,” Ferrari stressed while holding the photo.

“Así murió Diego Maradona”
durante el juicio el fiscal mostró una foto del Diego todo hinchado, que asco lo descuidado que lo dejaron sus propias hijas y después lucran con su nombre. hijas de puta pic.twitter.com/4EeNS83Gsc

— Ante (@Ante__) March 11, 2025

The trial in San Isidro, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, is expected to span several months and involve numerous witnesses, expert testimonies, and evidence reviews, with hearings held three times a week under Judge Maximiliano Savarino. The case has drawn significant attention due to Maradona’s global relevance.

The image shown by the prosecutor exposes Maradona in his bed at the time of his death, with his abdomen extremely swollen, among other signs of severe deterioration and an alarming state of abandonment, which reinforces the prosecution's theory about the lack of medical control.

Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, in the Buenos Aires district of Tigre, as a result of a cardiorespiratory arrest secondary to acute lung edema.

An eighth defendant, Nurse Dahiana Gisela Madrid, will be tried separately because she chose a trial by jury.

On Tuesday, Ferrari also mentioned that those who visited Maradona at the house in Tigre warned about his poor condition and that the medical team was warned about it. The autopsy showed that the former player died from acute pulmonary edema secondary to chronic heart failure. According to investigators, the medical team omitted their fundamental responsibilities, preventing Maradona from receiving proper medical care.