Argentina puts 7 of Maradona’s healthcare professionals on trial

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — An Argentine court on Tuesday started its trial of seven healthcare professionals accused of negligence in the death of soccer great Diego Maradona, at age 60.

Maradona was under the care of those professionals when he had a cardiac arrest in a house outside Buenos Aires on Nov. 25, 2020.

Three judges will decide whether those charged, including a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist and several medical staffers, are guilty of manslaughter. The maximum jail time for those sentenced is 25 years.

According to the prosecution, the accused professionals didn't provide adequate medical care.

Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari said he will provide evidence that, between Nov. 11-25 2020, Maradona was taken to a house in a private neighborhood in the town of Tigre, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, without being in “full use of his mental faculties” to decide on home hospitalization.

Ferrari said it was a reckless hospitalization in which there was no control.

“After condemning him to oblivion in that house... they deliberately and cruelly decided that he should die,” he said.

The prosecutor showed an image of the former soccer star lying in the bed where he was found dead with his abdomen visibly swollen.

The tearful family of the 1986 World Cup winner were present at the courtroom. Maradona’s oldest daughters, Dalma and Giannina, sat in the front row near Verónica Ojeda, former partner of the footballer, and Jana, another of his daughters.

Minutes before the start of the trial, Ojeda shared a video on social media of Maradona's son Diego Fernando wearing a T-shirt with the face of the football star, and the word “justice.”

The trial could last up to four months and there will be three hearings per week.

The spotlight is on neurosurgeon Leonardo Luque, Maradona's personal physician for the last four years of his life. He performed surgery to remove a blood clot from the former footballer's brain just weeks before his death.

Six other professionals will be on trial. Psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, who prescribed the medication that Maradona took until the time of his death, psychologist Carlos Díaz, Nancy Forlini, a coordinator of the medical company hired for Maradona's care during his hospitalization, Mariano Perroni, a representative of the company that rendered nursing service, Dr. Pedro Di Spagna, who monitored his treatment, and nurse Ricardo Almirón.

Gisela Madrid, a nurse who was also indicted, will be tried by a jury later this year.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

A fan of the late soccer star Diego Maradona holds a sign that reads in Spanish "Justice for God" outside the court where members of the medical team that treated Maradona go on trial for alleged homicide by negligence in San Isidro on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Construction workers stand by a mural of late soccer star Diego Maradona at the stadium of the Argentinos Juniors soccer club, Maradona's first pro team, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the day members of the medical team that treated Maradona before his death go on trial for homicide by negligence. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A sculpture of late soccer star Diego Maradona stands on the terrace of a bar in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Dalma and Yanina Maradona, daughters of late soccer star Diego Maradona, arrive at court on the first day of a trial for homicide by negligence against the medical team that treated their father, in San Isidro on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Fans of the late soccer star Diego Maradona hold a banner that reads in Spanish "Justice for God" outside the court where members of the medical team that treated Maradona go on trial for alleged homicide by negligence in San Isidro on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Veronica Ojeda, ex-partner of late soccer star Diego Maradona, arrives at court for the first day of a trial for alleged homicide by negligence against the medical team that treated Maradona, in San Isidro on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Yanina Maradona, daughter of late soccer star Diego Maradona, sits in court on the first day of a trial for alleged homicide by negligence against the medical team that treated her father, in San Isidro on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A mural of late soccer star Diego Maradona covers a wall in the La Paternal neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov arrives for a court hearing on the trial charging the medical team that treated late soccer star Diego Maradona with homicide by negligence in San Isidro, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Psychiatrist Nancy Forlini arrives for a court hearing in the trial charging the medical team that treated late soccer star Diego Maradona with alleged homicide by negligence in San Isidro, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Neurologist Leopoldo Luque, who served as Diego Maradona's doctor, stands in court on the first day of a trial for alleged homicide by negligence against the medical team who treated the late soccer star in San Isidro on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

U.S. bobsledder Kris Horn survived a frightening ride down the track in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Sunday, after his three teammates failed to make it into the four-man sled at the start of a World Cup race.

Horn, the driver, got in first, as is common in bobsled. But his three teammates — Ryan Rager, Hunter Powell and Caleb Furnell — all had trouble getting in, leaving Horn to navigate the course with no other weight in the sled and nobody to pull the brakes at the bottom.

Rager appeared to be the first to stumble, and the domino effect took over from there. Powell appeared to get thrown somewhat violently toward the track wall, hitting his back on the hardpacked icy surface after he couldn't get into the sled, and Furnell couldn't make his way into his spot either. None of the U.S. sliders suffered serious injuries and all X-rays taken came back negative, the team said.

“A little sore,” Powell told The Associated Press. “I should be fine in a couple days.”

Without any weight in the sled, Horn basically careened down the track but still reached a speed of around 75 mph (120 kph) during the run that lasted just over a minute. Horn drove the sled across the finish line, then had the presence of mind to scoot toward the back of the sled and pull the brake handles.

Athletes and coaches from several different national teams rushed to the finish line to ensure that Horn was fine as the sled skidded to a stop; some simply shook his hand and nodded their heads in disbelief. Horn — whose start in bobsledding was as a brakeman, so he knew what to do — waved to the nearby television cameras to show he was OK.

“We are fortunate it wasn't worse,” USA Bobsled head coach Chris Fogt said in a text message.

It was a rough weekend for Horn, who also crashed out of the two-man World Cup race on Saturday. His brakeman for that race, Carsten Vissering, suffered abrasions and was unable to compete on Sunday in the four-man. Rager took Vissering's spot on the four-man sled.

There is one World Cup race weekend left before USA Bobsled and Skeleton picks its team for next month's Milan Cortina Olympics. Horn is expected to be named to the team as one of the men's bobsled drivers, along with Frank Del Duca.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Kristopher Horn/ Carsten Vissering of the USA in action during the Men's 2-Bob World Cup, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Mayk Wendt/Keystone via AP)