Leopoldo Luque Reasserts Innocence as Renewed Maradona Negligence Trial Begins in Argentina

Leopoldo Luque maintains innocence in the renewed trial over Diego Maradona's death, claiming he is being used as a scapegoat in the negligence case.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 17, 2026, 3:44 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from YSScores

A Defense Founded on Grief and Professional Denial

The legal proceedings surrounding the death of Diego Maradona have entered a critical new phase as lead defendant Leopoldo Luque addressed the court to maintain his innocence. The neurosurgeon expressed a profound personal sadness regarding the passing of his former patient but remained firm that his medical actions were beyond reproach. Luque argued that his role was not that of a primary caregiver at the time of the star’s death and that he should not be held criminally responsible for the physiological failures that led to the heart failure of the Argentine legend.

Systemic Failures and Allegations of Fatal Negligence

Prosecutors in San Isidro have built a case centered on the premise that Maradona’s medical team acted in a reckless and deficient manner during his home hospitalization. According to the prosecution, the care provided at the rented residence in Tigre was entirely inadequate for a patient recovering from a complex subdural hematoma surgery. The state argues that the medical staff ignored signs of life-threatening cardiac distress over a period of several days, essentially abandoning the patient to his fate through a series of administrative and clinical omissions.

The Complexity of a Chronic Medical History

In a coordinated defense strategy, the eight medical professionals involved have pointed to Maradona’s long-standing history of substance abuse and chronic health issues as the true cause of death. The defense argues that the 60-year-old’s heart failure was a natural consequence of a body weakened by decades of addiction and previous cardiac episodes. According to Luque, the expectation that any medical team could have indefinitely reversed such a complex and deteriorating health profile is unrealistic and does not constitute a criminal offense under Argentine law.