Maradona trial: cardiologist refutes accusations: "Sudden death, his heart was normal."

Buenos Aires – A dramatic turn of events is set to rewrite the criminal liability map in the courtroom where the trial for the death of Diego Armando Maradona is taking place. Against all expectations of the prosecution, the testimony of cardiologist Ricardo Iglesias has introduced a reconstruction of the facts diametrically opposed to the one previously accepted, calling into question the pillars of the prosecution's case against the seven healthcare workers charged in the death of the former Argentine champion on November 25, 2020.

According to the specialist's statement in court today, the Pibe de Oro suffered a "sudden" and completely unpredictable death. "His heart was completely normal, with no detectable pathology," Iglesias declared before the judges, ruling out any indications that would have predicted the impending tragedy.

The rift over the medical report

Iglesias's testimony adds to the existing medical-legal reports, which concluded that Maradona suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy, with a severely enlarged heart and clots consistent with a dramatic agony lasting up to 12 hours. This latter reconstruction, based on which the prosecutor's office has based its case of gross negligence on the part of the medical team.

Iglesias revealed that he had signed the 2021 medical commission's report in open dissent—the same one that had branded the medical staff's conduct as "inadequate, deficient, and imprudent." To support his argument, the doctor recalled how, in the last year of his life, the champion had undergone two echocardiograms, had undergone three surgeries, and had been examined by 17 different specialists without any significant cardiac abnormalities being found.

Underestimated signs or stable clinical picture?

The crux of the trial remains the assessment of Maradona's symptoms in the days preceding his death. While the prosecution argued that swelling, tachycardia, and fatigue were clear signs of ongoing heart failure, Dr. Iglesias argued that these were clinical signs lacking the predictive value of an imminent risk.

"Sudden acute events are unexpected by nature. There were no signs that would have predicted such an outcome," he reiterated in court.

The deposition now shifts the focus of the trial, offering valuable support for the seven defendants—including neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov—who are charged with manslaughter with intent due to their alleged reckless management of their home confinement.