Argentine soccer icon Diego Maradona received inadequate medical care and was left to his fate for a “prolonged, agonizing period” before he died last year, an expert medical panel said on Friday.
In a 70-page document, the panel said that Maradona, who succumbed to a heart attack on Nov. 25 last year at the age of 60, “started to die at least 12 hours before” the moment he was found dead in his bed.
Maradona died just weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a blood clot.
Photo: AFP
A panel of 20 experts was convened by Argentina’s public prosecutor to examine the cause of death and to determine whether there had been any negligence.
Maradona’s neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and psychologist Carlos Diaz are under investigation, as are two nurses, a nursing coordinator and a medical coordinator.
The finding could result in a case of wrongful death and a prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted.
Photo: AFP
The legal proceedings were prompted by a complaint filed by two of Maradona’s five daughters against Luque, whom they blamed for their father’s deteriorating condition after the brain operation.
Maradona underwent surgery on Nov. 3 last year, just four days after he celebrated his 60th birthday at the club he coached, Gimnasia y Esgrima.
However, he appeared in poor health then, and had trouble speaking.
Maradona had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions during his life.
He had liver, kidney and cardiovascular disorders when he died.
Two of his daughters have accused Luque of responsibility in Maradona’s deteriorating health.
The panel said that Maradona “would have had a better chance of survival” with adequate treatment in an appropriate medical facility.
He died in his bed in a rented house in an exclusive Buenos Aires neighborhood, where he was receiving home care.
Maradona did not have “full use of his mental faculties” and should not have been left to decide where he would be treated, the experts said.
They also found that his treatment was rife with “deficiencies and irregularities,” and the medical team had left his survival “to fate.”
“It is clear that the panel says that things were not done right,” said Sebastian Sanchi, a former spokesman for Maradona.
Maradona is an idol to millions of Argentines after he inspired the South American nation to their second World Cup triumph in 1986.
An attacking midfielder who spent two years with Spanish giants Barcelona, he is also loved in Naples, Italy, where he helped SSC Napoli win the only two Serie A titles in the club’s history.
‘SU-PENKO’: Hsieh and Ostapenko face a rematch against their Australian Open final opponents, the same duo Hsieh played in last year’s Wimbledon semi-finals Taiwanese women’s doubles star Hsieh Su-wei and Latvian partner Jelena Ostapenko on Wednesday survived a near upset to the unseeded duo of Sorana Cirstea of Romania and Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya, setting up a semi-final showdown against last year’s winners. Despite losing a hard-fought opening set 7-6 (7/4) on a tiebreak, the fourth seeds turned up the heat, losing just five games in the final two sets to handily put down Cirstea and Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-2. Nicknamed “Su-Penko,” the pair are next to face top seeds Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of the US in a reversal of last
Taiwanese tennis veteran Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇) and her Latvian partner Jelena Ostapenko finished runners-up in the Wimbledon women's doubles final yesterday, losing 6-3, 2-6, 4-6. The three-set match against Veronika Kudermetova of Russia and Elise Mertens of Belgium lasted two hours and 23 minutes. The loss denied 39-year-old Hsieh a chance to claim her 10th Grand Slam title. Although the Taiwanese-Latvian duo trailed 1-3 in the opening set, they rallied with two service breaks to take it 6-3. In the second set, Mertens and Kudermetova raced to a 5-1 lead and wrapped it up 6-2 to even the match. In the final set, Hsieh and
Taiwanese tennis veteran Hsieh Su-wei and her Latvian partner, Jelena Ostapenko, advanced to the Wimbledon women’s doubles final on Friday, defeating top seeds Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of the US in straight sets. The fourth-seeded duo bounced back quickly after losing their opening service game, capitalizing on frequent unforced errors by their opponents to take the first set 7-5. Maintaining their momentum in the second set, Hsieh and Ostapenko broke serve early and held their lead to close out the match 6-4. They are set to face the eighth-seeded pair of Veronika Kudermetova of Russia and Elise Mertens
Outside Anfield, the red sea of tributes to Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, has continued to grow this week, along with questions over whether Liverpool could play at Preston today, their first game since the brothers’ tragic loss. Inside Anfield, and specifically a grieving Liverpool dressing room, there was no major debate over the pre-season friendly. The English Premier League champions intend to honor their teammate in the best way they know how. It would be only 10 days since the deaths of Jota and Silva when Liverpool appear at Deepdale Stadium for what is certain to be a hugely