San Isidro, October 23, 2026 (V7N) – The court trying seven healthcare professionals over the 2020 death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona announced Thursday that its verdict will be delivered on December 22, following six months of hearings.
The trial concluded Thursday with brief statements from Maradona's daughter and some of the defendants.
"I hope my father receives the justice he deserves...like anyone else," said Dalma Maradona, her voice breaking with emotion.
The main defendant, Leopoldo Luque, Maradona's primary doctor, declared: "I am innocent."
Maradona died at age 60 from heart failure coupled with pulmonary edema. He was found dead in his bed on November 25, 2020, at a residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, rented for his convalescence following minor neurosurgery. His death plunged the country into mourning in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors requested prison sentences ranging from four to twelve years for six of the seven defendants, with the heaviest sentence — 12 years — sought for Luque.
In closing arguments Wednesday, Luque's defense attorneys rejected the prosecution's argument that Maradona's death was foreseeable, calling their client a "scapegoat" in the case.
The court will now deliberate before issuing its ruling on December 22, a decision expected to draw intense attention in Argentina, where Maradona remains a deeply revered figure.
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