Defense in Maradona death trial seeks acquittal of doctor

A lawyer for Leopoldo Luque, a doctor charged in the 2020 death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, declared in closing arguments Wednesday that his client was innocent and had been made a "scapegoat."

Attorney Roberto Rallin rejected the prosecution's argument that Maradona's November 2020 death was foreseeable, while another defense attorney, Francisco Oneto, maintained that his death resulted from an "acute and unpredictable" heart attack.

Oneto insisted that "there was absolutely no possibility of predicting this fatal outcome."

Prosecutors have requested a 12-year prison sentence for Luque, a neurosurgeon considered a key decision-maker for Maradona at the time of his death.

"We are here to proclaim Luque's innocence, not with television slogans, but with the evidence that supports it," Rallin said. "Leopoldo Luque has been the scapegoat."

Maradona died at age 60 from a cardiorespiratory crisis coupled with pulmonary edema.

He was found dead in his bed at a residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, rented for his convalescence, following surgery for a subdural hematoma.

A total of seven healthcare professionals have been on trial since April for potential negligence that led to the star's death during those two weeks of convalescence.

Prosecutors have requested sentences ranging from four to 12 years for six of the seven defendants.

In its closing arguments, the prosecution condemned Luque's "inaction," saying his attitude "was always to do nothing" in the face of the warning signs that Maradona was exhibiting.

The defense's closing arguments are expected to continue until Thursday.