Maradona Death Trial Takes New Turn as Doctor Fights to Clear His Name

The trial over football legend Diego Maradona death has taken another turn as his doctor fights to clear his name.

(Diego Maradona. Photo Credit: Ministry of Sport)

Lawyers for Leopoldo Luque, the doctor on trial over the 2020 death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, made their closing arguments on Wednesday.

They say he is innocent and has been made a scapegoat.

Defence lawyer Roberto Rallin said nobody could have predicted Maradona's death.

Another lawyer, Francisco Oneto, said the football legend died from a sudden and unpredictable heart attack.

Prosecutors want 12 years in prison for Luque.

They say he was the key decision maker for Maradona's care in the two weeks before he died in November 2020 at a rented house in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires.

They say he did nothing even when there were warning signs.

Seven health workers have been on trial since April.

Prosecutors want sentences of four to 12 years for six of them.

Luque's lawyers also attacked a medical panel set up by the court in 2021.

They say tests done before the surgery showed no heart problems.

The defence will keep presenting its case until Thursday.