Shocking Revelations from Maradona’s Death Trial

“He Refused Hospital Care”: Maradona’s Surgeon Opens Up in Shocking Death Trial Testimony

In an emotional and revealing testimony, a neurosurgeon told an Argentine court on Thursday that Diego Maradona was a “very difficult patient” who resisted medical care and insisted on recovering at home — a decision now at the center of a high-profile death trial.

The legendary footballer, who passed away on November 25, 2020, at age 60, was recovering from brain surgery for a blood clot when he died from heart failure and acute pulmonary edema — a condition that causes fluid to accumulate in the lungs.

Seven members of Maradona’s medical team are currently on trial, accused of criminal negligence and facing potential prison sentences of eight to 25 years. Prosecutors have described the late football icon’s final days as a “horror show” of medical mismanagement.

The court is now weighing whether allowing Maradona to recover in a private residence in Tigre, a suburb of Buenos Aires, rather than in a hospital setting, may have cost him his life.

Neurosurgeon Rodolfo Benvenuti, who oversaw Maradona’s surgery, told the court that convincing the football icon to even undergo a CT scan before the procedure was a struggle.

“He was defiant and hard to manage,” Benvenuti testified. “After surgery, he wanted out of the clinic immediately and made it clear he would only accept home care.”

Benvenuti emphasized that Maradona’s condition warranted daily medical evaluations, but the home care plan included only weekly doctor visits — one of which never even happened, due to Maradona refusing to be seen.

The football legend was found unresponsive in his bed by a nurse. By then, it was too late.

Prosecutors allege that the care provided in Maradona’s final days was grossly inadequate and failed to meet basic medical standards. The trial, which began on March 11 in San Isidro, continues through July and has captivated Argentina and the global football community.