Argentine court declares mistrial in case over death of Diego Maradona

An Argentine court has declared a mistrial in the case of seven health professionals accused of negligence in the death of former football star Diego Maradona.

It was the latest dramatic twist in a trial that has captivated the nation and the football world for more than two months.

The decision comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial stepped down amid criticism surrounding her participation in a forthcoming documentary about the case.

Her withdrawal compelled the court to either appoint a new judge in her place or to retry the entire case from scratch.

On Thursday, the judges decided the latter, effectively turning the clock back on all proceedings in the case that accuses Maradona’s medical team of failing to provide adequate care for the soccer star in his final days.

The judges ruled there would be a new trial, without specifying when.

Julieta Makintach said that she had “no choice” but to resign from the case on Tuesday after the prosecutor showed a teaser-trailer for a documentary, Divine Justice, which traces the aftermath of Maradona’s death at the age of 60 to the start of the trial, clearly featuring Ms Makintach as a main protagonist.

Maradona, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in 1986, died on November 25, 2020 on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, days after undergoing surgery for a haematoma that formed between his skull and brain.