Maradona trial: sudden death was not foreseeable, argues a cardiologist cited by the defense

Diego Maradona died of a "sudden" and "unforeseeable" event that could not have been anticipated since his heart was in good condition, a cardiologist testified Thursday at the trial concerning the November 2020 death of the Argentine football icon.

Dr. Ricardio Iglesias is one of the last witnesses called by the defense in the trial of seven healthcare professionals for potential fatal negligence during Maradona's recovery from minor neurosurgery.

The trial, which began in mid-April and entered its 43rd day of hearings on Thursday, is entering its final stretch. Closing arguments from the prosecution and the defense and civil parties are expected to begin on October 8.

The medical experts heard in recent weeks have presented a picture of totally antagonistic theses: those who believe that various clinical signs should have alerted the team in charge of Maradona's home hospitalization, and those who believe on the contrary that nothing could have predicted or prevented his death.

According to Dr. Iglesias, Maradona, 60, "had an acute event due to an arrhythmia, that's why he died. Sudden acute events are unpredictable and there was nothing to indicate such an outcome."

He notably refuted the hypothesis, mentioned by other experts, that Maradona had suffered a prolonged agony - several hours - before being found dead in his bed on the morning of November 25.

According to him, Maradona did not have any active heart disease in 2020, and the cessation of consumption of toxic substances which had caused him an accident in 2000 had allowed the heart to return to its previous state.

"The heart is perfectly normal. I find no evidence to suggest there was a prolonged period of agony," the cardiologist insisted. He was part of the multidisciplinary medical commission formed by the courts in 2021 to investigate Maradona's death, but had issued an opinion dissenting from its conclusions.

Before him, Jose Antonio Maya, an internist specializing in complex diseases, had testified, cited by the main defendant, Maradona's then-trusted doctor, Leopoldo Luque.

In the same vein, he recalled that Maradona had undergone numerous cardiological assessments before his various operations, which "had established an anesthetic risk (called) ASA 2 (low, editor's note). He was not a patient at cardiac risk."

The accused (doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, nurses) face up to 25 years in prison.