Dalma says Diego Maradona’s death could have been avoided

Trial begins for Maradona’s medical team accused of neglect leading to his death.

Dalma Maradona, daughter of Argentine football icon Diego Maradona, arrives at court for a trial hearing regarding her father's death, in San Isidro on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, on April 15, 2025. Photo by Juan Mabromata/AFP

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

In an emotional court appearance on Tuesday, Dalma Maradona testified that Diego Maradona’s death in 2020 "would have been avoided" had his medical team done their job. The daughter of the Argentine football legend gave her statement as part of an ongoing trial in San Isidro, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires, where seven members of Maradona’s medical team are accused of gross negligence and are facing up to 25 years in prison.

According to Dalma, her father was misled and failed by those who were supposed to care for him in the weeks following his surgery. Diego Maradona’s death, caused by heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, has now become the center of a high-profile trial that seeks justice for the icon's tragic final days.

A death that shook the world

Diego Maradona, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60. He had undergone brain surgery just two weeks prior to remove a blood clot and was recovering in a rented home where he was expected to receive 24-hour medical care.

However, what was supposed to be a supervised recovery turned into what prosecutors have described as a “horror theater.” They allege that the football legend was effectively abandoned by the very people entrusted with his health and well-being.

Dalma Maradona’s testimony: “They deceived us in the cruelest way”

During her court appearance, Dalma Maradona delivered a heartfelt and scathing critique of the team responsible for her father’s care. She stated that Dr. Leopoldo Luque, one of the accused, had convinced the family that recovering at home was the safest option for Maradona. According to her, Luque had assured them that her father would be fully supported with round-the-clock medical attention and immediate access to emergency services, including an ambulance.

But this promise, she said, turned out to be a lie.

“It was a house where, occasionally, a doctor would come to see him,” she told the court. “It was not equipped for what my father needed. If they had done their job, Diego Maradona’s death would have been avoided.”

She described the state of the house as “disgusting” and claimed it “smelled like urine,” casting serious doubt on whether Maradona had been kept in an environment suitable for recovery.

Denied access in his final days

Dalma also revealed that, just days before her father’s passing, she tried to visit him but was blocked by Maradona’s lawyer and an assistant. This, she suggested, was part of a wider scheme to isolate the former football star and keep his declining condition hidden from his closest family members.

“They deceived us in the cruelest way,” Dalma said, her voice filled with emotion.

Seven medical professionals on trial

The trial features seven defendants, including doctors, nurses, and therapists, who were part of Maradona’s post-surgical care team. They are charged with “homicide with possible intent,” a serious accusation under Argentine law that means knowingly acting in a way that could lead to someone’s death.

Prosecutors allege that the team “abandoned” Maradona in his most vulnerable state and allowed his health to deteriorate over a “prolonged, agonizing period.” The severity of the charges reflects the belief that Maradona did not die simply of natural causes, but rather because of the compounded negligence of the people tasked with keeping him alive.

Medical failings and unanswered questions

As the trial continues, more damning details are emerging. Experts claim that Diego Maradona’s death was not sudden or unexpected, but the result of medical mismanagement. His deteriorating condition should have triggered emergency intervention days before his heart finally gave out.

Medical records show that Maradona was not monitored properly. There was no working defibrillator in the home, no ambulance waiting on standby, and no clear plan of how to respond in case of emergency—all of which go against the promises made to the Maradona family.

The fact that he died from pulmonary edema—essentially drowning in his own bodily fluids—underscores the lack of critical oversight in his final days.

Public anger and national mourning

Maradona’s death sent shockwaves throughout Argentina and the footballing world. Tens of thousands of fans poured into the streets to mourn his passing, with some even clashing with police outside the presidential palace where his body lay in state.

While the world mourned a hero, his family was already questioning the circumstances behind his death. The trial has only magnified those suspicions and placed a harsh spotlight on Argentina’s medical accountability, especially for high-profile patients.

The long road to justice

The trial is expected to run through July, with nearly 120 witnesses scheduled to testify. This includes medical professionals, family members, and experts who will attempt to piece together the final two weeks of Maradona’s life.

Dalma’s powerful testimony has already become a defining moment in the case, reinforcing the prosecution’s narrative that Diego Maradona’s death was preventable.

For many, justice for Maradona is not just about punishing those who failed him. It’s about ensuring that no other icon, or ordinary citizen, suffers the same fate due to medical neglect.

A legacy overshadowed

Maradona’s legacy as a football genius—who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 and dazzled fans at Napoli and Barcelona—now coexists with questions about how his life ended. Though his addiction battles and controversial personal life often dominated headlines, his death has become the center of a legal and moral reckoning.

Dalma Maradona’s voice in court echoed what millions of fans have felt since that fateful day in November 2020: that Maradona deserved better. Not just as a footballer or a national hero, but as a father, a patient, and a human being.

The world will continue to watch as the trial unfolds. Whether or not the accused are convicted, the courtroom in San Isidro has already become a battleground for truth and accountability in the story of Diego Maradona’s death.