FOOTBALL legend Diego Maradona spent his last days in a “house of horror”, a prosecutor claimed during a trial over the sporting icon’s death in Argentina.
The World Cup winner’s home care was “reckless and deficient”, according to chief prosecutor Patricio Ferrari as he described the seven defendants on trial.
A trial over the icon's death involved the chief prosecutor showing the court a very graphic image of the footballer
The defendants - who were called a bunch of “people who improvised” - are charged with homicide and face up to 25 years in jail if convicted.
Mr Ferrari told a Buenos Aires court that the carers were “absolutely indifferent” to the consequences of poor care provided to Maradona, delivering a hard hitting speech at the start of the trial.
The prosecutor said: “You will see during this trial what reckless home care is, reckless, deficient, without precedent, without any type of control during the period that ended with Diego’s death.
“They co-operated in putting into place a series of factors or circumstances that increased the permitted risk to generate the death of Diego Armando Maradona which is something we say they were absolutely different to."
The prosecutor shocked the room by holding up a grim picture of the player’s last day, which showed the Argentinian icon lying on his back with his bloated stomach exposed under a lifted-up black T-shirt.
“This is the way he died,” Ferrari told the court.
Over 100 witnesses are set to give evidence in this trial, which will focus on the care he received at a house in Tigre when he died from heart failure in November 2020.
Just before he died in 2020, he had returned to the house from a blood clot operation at a hospital.
Although the icon struggled with obesity, alcoholism and drug abuse, 20 medical experts stated in 2021 that his death could have been avoided with better treatment.
Maradona’s doctor Leopoldo Luque, and his physiatrist Aguestina Cosachov, who were responsible for the footballer’s last days, are due to get in the dock.
Former lover Veronica Ojeda, who is also the mother of his 12-year-old son, Dieguito, and his two grown-up daughters Dalma and Gianinna with his ex-wife Claudia Villafane, all attended the court session.
When the haunting last image of Maradona was shown to the court, Dalma broke down in tears.
Mr Ferrari said: “The right to truth is a human right and today Diego Armando Maradona, his children, his relatives, those closest to him and the Argentinian people deserve justice.
He added that the public prosecution’s “solid” case was supported by messages from phones seized during property raids as well as witness evidence including the testimony of a number of medical experts.
He continued: “We will show that between November 11 and 25 2020, Diego Armando Maradona was introduced into house 45 in the San Barrio neighbourhood in San Benavides in Tigre when, clearly the victim, he was not in full use of his mental faculties and even less could decide on his own about his health.
“He entered that place for a clinical rehabilitation and home medical care that we can say without any doubt was calamitous.
He said the defendants “improvised” and that they “neglected all the duties they had”.
"In that House of Horror where Diego Maradona died no-one did what they had to do,” Mr Ferrari added.
Before the hearing, his former partner Veronica Ojeda launched into an furious tirade at Agustina Cosachov.
She was caught on camera from a distance shouting “Daughter of a b**ch”, before police stepped in to separate them.
The other defendants aside from Luque and Cosachov are nurses Ricardo Almiron; Nancy Forlini and Mariano Perroni: psychologist Carlos Diaz and doctor Pedro Di Spagno.
An eighth person, nurse Gisella Dahiana Madrid, will be tried separately later this year.
Dimitri Payet is accused of a catalogue of abuse against his mistress Larissa Ferrari, who claims the married ex-West Ham star subjected her to "physical, moral, psychological and sexual violence"Larissa Ferrari has accused former West Ham and France star Dimitri Payet of abuse during their affairFormer West Ham star Dimitri Payet is to go on trial over an alleged horrifying catalogue of abuse aga...
CHELSEA star Joao Felix has finally scored… by dating a stunning Colombian model.The Portugal international joined the Blues last summer from Atletico Madrid in a £42million deal.Joao Felix has started dating Valentina Rueda VelezFelix had been single since 2023 before striking up the new romanceThe Chelsea forward's mood will have been boosted after a tricky seasonFelix, 25, penned a c...
DAZN presenter Eleonora Incardona put on a leggy display in an eye-catching Club World Cup outfit.The Italian has been touring the States as part of DAZN's coverage of the tournament.Eleonora Incardona put on a leggy display in LAThe presenter often wows with her outfits on social mediaShe bumped into David Beckham in MiamiHer latest trip has seen her touch down in Seattle, Washington, having prev...
Jaw-dropping reporter Simona Leskovska turned heads as she appeared at the U21 Euros in a dress that left fans stunned and was joined pitchside by her Serie A-winning partnerStunning reporter Simona Leskovska turned heads at the U21 Euros in an eye-catching outfit.The 30-year-old brunette beauty is working as a reporter at the tournament in her native Slovakia and has captured the imagination of f...
Brazilian football icon Neymar has wowed fans on social media with his bold outfit choice that cost as much as a small family carNeymar flexed the outfit on InstagramFootball legend Neymar has been torn off a strip by fans after sharing pics of his bizarre pink party outfit online that cost as much as a family car.The Brazilian Santos star got togged up in the furry kit assembled from some of the ...
FOOTBALLER Kieran Trippier has confirmed his marriage is over for good.The Newcastle United player broke his silence on their split after The Sun revealed his new mystery woman.Kieran Trippier with his estranged wife CharlotteKieran was snapped with his arm around Chloe Ferry in IbizaKieran was spotted with his arm around ChloeKieran, 34, partied with Geordie Shore’s Chloe Ferry, 29, at Ibiz...
The late Kim Woodburn famously had to be held back by security in the Celebrity Big Brother house after an explosive argument with Jamie O'Hara, which saw her call him an "adulterer"Kim Woodburn slammed Jamie O'Hara as an "adulterer"The late Kim Woodburn once blasted former Premier League star Jamie O’Hara in an explosive Celebrity Big Brother row that has gone down in reality TV history.Woo...
AN INFLUENCER linked with Lamine Yamal has revealed she has received sickening death threats.Fati Vazquez, 30, reportedly spent a weekend with the Barcelona star, sparking rumours of a romantic relationship.Fati Vazquez was seen on holiday seemingly in the same spot at the Barcelona starShe has almost 400,000 followers on InstagramPictures shared on Instagram by the pair, three days apart and veri...
DAZN presenter Eleonora Incardona stole the show at the Club World Cup.Incardona, 34, works as a touchline reporter for their coverage of Serie A.Eleonora Incardona stunned as she hosted the Club World CupThe Italian works as a touchline reporter for DaznShe also blew a kiss to her 1.2 million followersBut the TV star has joined the broadcaster for its coverage of the new-look tournament.And durin...
KIERAN Trippier's mystery woman has been revealed as Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry.Insiders said the reality TV star partied with the Newcastle United footballer at Ibiza nightclub Ushuaia last week.A source added: "Chloe and her friends were introduced to Kieran and his mates and they partied together."Kieran was very tactile and put his arm around her when they were together at the club."Chloe is ...
- 1 DONE DEAL: Marseille confirm CJ Egan-Riley signing from Burnley
- 2 Chloe Kelly enjoys sun-kissed holiday as Arsenal star rests before Euro 2025
- 3 Jack Grealish set to leave Man City this summer
- 4 Man Utd have Hugo Ekitike 'advantage'
- 5 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 6 Stunning Euro U21 reporter dubbed 'queen of Europe' in bold dress
- 7 Man Utd make decision on replacing Andre Onana with Emi Martinez this summer
- 8 DONE DEAL: Celta Vigo sign permanently Ilaix from RB Leipzig
- 9 Real Madrid eye a trio of targets
- 10 Maddison and Wag announce they're expecting twins AGAIN