Diego Maradona trial: caretaker says swelling ignored, doctor visits missed
During the criminal trial over the death of Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona, former caretaker Aníbal Domínguez testified that the 60‑year‑old star was severely swollen, retained fluid and ate little in the weeks before his death on 25 November 2020. Domínguez said Maradona was taken out of the San Andrés gated community on 20 November and that he repeatedly warned personal doctor Leopoldo Luque to visit, but Luque only came four times (17, 18, 20 and 22 November).
The autopsy later confirmed acute pulmonary oedema caused by chronic heart failure, with three litres of fluid found in Maradona’s abdomen. Eight health professionals—including Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Díaz, nurse Ricardo Almirón and others—are charged with homicide with eventual intent.
Additional testimony from masseur Nicolás Taffarel described Maradona’s last words to him as “No quiero nada, ya está” and highlighted the patient’s inability to leave the bed, urinary incontinence and refusal to eat, reinforcing the caretaker’s account of neglect and worsening condition.
Entities: Agustina Cosachov · Aníbal Domínguez · Carlos Díaz · Diego Armando Maradona · Leopoldo Luque · Martín Domínguez · Nicolás Taffarel · Ricardo Omar Almirón
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The autopsy determined Maradona’s cause of death as acute pulmonary oedema due to chronic heart failure, with three litres of fluid in his abdomen. (dd4c75e5-9ded-4cdc-9c24-338e07d423ea)
- [● 6 SOURCES] In late November 2020 Maradona exhibited severe swelling and fluid retention. (dd4c75e5-9ded-4cdc-9c24-338e07d423ea, eeab7b93-4820-412d-bdbb-61f89e886301, b2be28a6-9818-4e03-b800-7f14e5e08215, edd2ea)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Maradona ate little, suffered urinary incontinence and remained bedridden in the days before his death. (bfc51e1c-785c-4ef5-8c57-748731eae5c0, f1c5a922-733d-4d03-99b8-56490f9428fc, eeab7b93-4820-412d-bdbb-61f89e886301, 88910a)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Eight health professionals, including Leopoldo Luque, are charged with homicide with eventual intent in Maradona’s death. (bfc51e1c-785c-4ef5-8c57-748731eae5c0, f1c5a922-733d-4d03-99b8-56490f9428fc, eeab7b93-4820-412d-bdbb-61f89e886301, 7acefc)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nurse Ricardo Omar Almirón is one of the eight accused health professionals in the Maradona case. (7acefcf9-3e03-45e4-b499-22d585cca5ff, 2d0b014c-ae75-4ff0-9828-0fb6b1541cb9)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Maradona told his masseur Nicolás Taffarel “No quiero nada, ya está” the day before his death. (b2be28a6-9818-4e03-b800-7f14e5e08215, edd2ea5b-9830-4a54-918c-8d206c14af87)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Personal doctor Leopoldo Luque visited Maradona four times on 17, 18, 20 and 22 November 2020. (dd4c75e5-9ded-4cdc-9c24-338e07d423ea, 7acefcf9-3e03-45e4-b499-22d585cca5ff)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Diego Maradona was taken out of the San Andrés gated community on 20 November 2020, five days before his death. (bfc51e1c-785c-4ef5-8c57-748731eae5c0, f1c5a922-733d-4d03-99b8-56490f9428fc, 338b089d-14da-4e35-94b8-0faf33789a79, 30396a)