Maradona was waiting for his doctor, but the doctor never came, trial hears

A former personal security guard of Diego Armando Maradona has told the trial examining the Argentina great’s death that his private doctor, Leopoldo Luque, failed to visit him despite repeated warnings about his deteriorating health.

Martin Anibal Dominguez gave evidence on Tuesday in the case, saying Maradona was supposed to be visited by Luque after recently undergoing surgery, but the doctor did not arrive.

“He was supposed to come; Diego had recently undergone surgery,” Dominguez said. “He was supposed to come, but he did not. We were not able to deal with Diego; he was in a bad mood and treated everyone badly.”

Dominguez was part of Maradona’s security team and was at the house where the former Argentina captain was receiving home treatment when he died on 25 November 2020.

The witness described seeing clear signs of swelling in Maradona’s condition.

“Every time I saw him, his face was swollen,” he said. Dominguez added that people repeatedly asked him how Maradona was and that he told them the footballer was suffering from fluid retention.

During Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors presented messages in which Dominguez warned Luque about Maradona’s swelling and urged the doctor to visit him at home.

Asked by the prosecutor why he had sent those messages, Dominguez replied: “Diego told the nurse that he was waiting for his private doctor.”

The guard also told the court that Maradona’s general condition had worsened and that he had become increasingly withdrawn.

“Diego was not well, he did not want to shower, he did not leave his room and he did not want to eat,” he said.

Dominguez said a cook known as Monona had also told him that Maradona was not going to the toilet. A bathroom was subsequently installed in the room, the witness said.

According to evidence heard during the trial, Luque visited Maradona four times during the 14 days he spent at the house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Those visits took place on 17, 18, 20 and 22 November.

The court was also told that Luque had told some of Maradona’s other close associates, who had raised concerns about the footballer’s condition, that the swelling had been caused by spending a prolonged period in bed and would eventually disappear.

Maradona died from “acute pulmonary oedema due to an exacerbation of chronic heart failure”, according to the autopsy report.

Forensic experts who examined his body have given evidence that three litres of fluid were found in his abdomen. They also reported signs of “generalised oedema”, meaning widespread fluid accumulation throughout the body.

The experts said that condition had developed over several days.

Luque is being tried alongside psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Diaz, home-care co-ordinator Nancy Forlini of Swiss Medical, doctor Pedro Di Spagna, nursing co-ordinator Mariano Perroni and nurse Ricardo Almiron.

All seven defendants are accused of manslaughter in connection with the death of Maradona, who died aged 60 while recovering at home after undergoing surgery.