Maradona doctor was made 'scapegoat' for his death, Argentine court told

San Isidro - Leopoldo Luque, the doctor charged in Diego Maradona's 2020 death, was portrayed as a scapegoat by his lawyer at the closing arguments on Wednesday. The lawyer rejected the prosecution's claim that Maradona's death was foreseeable, instead maintaining that it was an acute and unpredictable heart attack. Another defense attorney argued that the cardiorespiratory crisis and pulmonary edema that caused Maradona's death were the result of the acute and unpredictable nature of a heart attack.

The prosecution requested a 12-year prison sentence for Luque, who was described as a key decision-maker in Maradona's care at the time of his death. The court heard that Maradona died at age 60 from a cardiorespiratory crisis coupled with pulmonary edema, following surgery for a subdural hematoma. Tens of thousands mourned the football legend as he lay in state at the presidential palace, with his death plunging the country into mourning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Luque's legal team contested the medical history presented by the interdisciplinary medical commission, stating that clinical tests prior to Maradona's surgery did not reveal any heart issues. Throughout the trial, Luque was particularly combative, speaking multiple times to refute accusations of negligence. His defense team played audio recordings, presented scientific articles, and even a video of Maradona's autopsy, angering Maradona's daughters who felt he was unfairly attacked. The defense's closing arguments are expected to continue until Thursday.