A bodyguard who was with Diego Armando Maradona during the final days of his life has told his trial that the former Argentina captain’s personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque, failed to visit him despite repeated warnings about his deteriorating health.
Martin Anibal Dominguez gave evidence on Tuesday at the trial examining the circumstances surrounding Maradona’s death. He said Luque had been expected to visit the football legend after he underwent surgery, but did not arrive.
“He was supposed to come; Diego had recently undergone surgery,” Dominguez said. “He was supposed to come, but he didn’t. We were unable to deal with Diego; he was in a bad mood and treated everyone badly.”
Dominguez was part of Maradona’s personal security team and was present at the house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires where the former player died on 25 November 2020 while receiving home care.
The witness said he noticed visible signs of swelling whenever he saw Maradona.
“Every time I saw him, his face was swollen,” he told the court. “They constantly asked me about Diego’s condition, and I replied that he was suffering from fluid retention.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors presented messages in which Dominguez warned Luque about Maradona’s swelling and urged the doctor to visit him at home.
Asked by the prosecutor why he had sent those messages, Dominguez replied: “Diego told the nurse that he was waiting for his personal doctor.”
The guard also described Maradona as being in poor physical and emotional condition during his time at the house.
“Diego was not well, he did not want to shower, he did not leave his room and he did not want to eat,” he said.
Dominguez added that a cook known as Monona had told him Maradona was not going to the toilet. “That was why they installed a bathroom in his room,” he said.
According to evidence presented at the trial, Luque visited Maradona four times during the 14 days the former player spent at the property: on 17, 18, 20 and 22 November.
The doctor reportedly told other people close to Maradona, who had raised concerns about his condition, that the swelling was the result of spending a prolonged period in bed and would eventually disappear.
Maradona died from “acute pulmonary oedema due to an exacerbation of chronic heart failure”, according to his autopsy report.
Forensic experts who examined his body have also testified that they found three litres of fluid in his abdomen. They said Maradona showed signs of “generalised oedema”, meaning widespread fluid accumulation throughout the body, which had developed over several days.
Alongside Luque, six other people are being tried in connection with the case. They are psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Diaz, home-care coordinator Nancy Forlini of Swiss Medical, doctor Pedro Di Spagna, nursing coordinator Mariano Perroni and nurse Ricardo Almiron.
All are accused of manslaughter.
