Argentine judicial authorities are expected to try eight people for alleged failures in the care of soccer star Diego Maradona, a court ruled on Wednesday.
Medical staff will be tried for “simple murder with probable intention” in connection with the death of the Argentine football legend in November 2020.
What are the defendants accused of?
Prosecutors say it is due to “omissions” on the part of the caregivers who left him “to his fate” during home hospitalization.
The eight people investigated include neurosurgeon Leopold Luque, a psychiatrist, a psychologist and other doctors and nurses who coordinated Maradona’s care.
Prosecutors say mismanagement by the medical team had put the football legend in a “situation of helplessness”.
The accused face sentences ranging from eight to 25 years of imprisonment. The prosecution claims that they were “the protagonists of an unprecedented, totally deficient and reckless home hospitalization”
No date has been set for the trial.
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Diego Maradona: the world of sport pays homage to the football legend
The world mourns the disappearance of a legend
In the first weekend following Diego Maradona’s death, athletes from all over the world paid tribute to the legendary number 10 in football. The Argentine died on November 25 of a heart attack at the age of 60. The commemorations, which took place mostly in empty stadiums, lost none of their emotional intensity.
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Diego Maradona: the world of sport pays homage to the football legend
Respect on the pitch
Methods of remembering one of football’s all-time greats varied from stadium to stadium. English Premier League teams cheered for a minute while some also wore a black armband in mourning. Manchester City and Burnley players cheered as they watched a video of Maradona’s two famous goals that knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup.
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Diego Maradona: the world of sport pays homage to the football legend
Under the gaze of Maradona
The players of the best French teams Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain kept a minute of silence standing in the formation of the letter “M”. Both clubs also hung banners reading “Adios”. The Argentine ambassador to France, Leonardo Constantino, unfurled his country’s national flag from the Parc des Princes stadium.
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Diego Maradona: the world of sport pays homage to the football legend
‘Hi Diego’
Players also held a minute’s silence in Germany and other European countries, with Maradona’s shirt on display during a Borussia Dortmund match. Maradona has played for teams in Italy and Spain, most notably Naples and Barcelona. The Italian players also wore black headbands as the stadiums projected Maradona’s face onto the screens during the 10th minute of the match in recognition of his jersey number.
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Diego Maradona: the world of sport pays homage to the football legend
‘Hand of God’
Maradona was among the fans in the stands of Portman Road Stadium. He scored two goals against England at the 1982 World Cup in Mexico. One is known as the “Hand of God” after the Argentine’s hand threw the ball into the net, a foul that was not punished. The other became FIFA’s goal of the century. The soccer star was loved for his dominance and talent on the pitch.
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Diego Maradona: the world of sport pays homage to the football legend
A loss felt beyond football
The giveaways weren’t limited to football matches. Before the Tri-Nations match against Argentina, the New Zealand rugby team rolled out an All Blacks jersey with Maradona’s name and the famous number 10 printed in the center of the pitch. The Argentine players nodded in recognition of the commemorative act.
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Diego Maradona: the world of sport pays homage to the football legend
An appropriate farewell
Kylian MBappe of Paris Saint-Germain wore a special shirt with the face of the football legend and the words “Rest in peace” in Spanish. The Sevilla soccer team in Spain appeared at the match on Saturday wearing reproductions of the jerseys from the season Maradona played there, with all players sporting the number 10 during the minute of silence.
Author: Alex Berry
A national icon
The 1986 Mexico World Cup winner was widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, particularly for his skill with the ball at his feet.
He was the joint winner of the FIFA Player of the Century title, alongside Pele.
He died at the age of 60 in a private residence north of Buenos Aires, a few weeks after undergoing brain surgery. His death sparked a period of national mourning.
The former Napoli, Boca Juniors and Barcelona player was initially hospitalized due to a brain blood clot. He has suffered from serious health problems for many years, including multiple heart attacks, hepatitis and gastric bypass due to his weight problems.
rc / rt (AFP, EFE)
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