Maradona doctor was scapegoat, lawyer tells court

A lawyer for Leopoldo Luque, the doctor charged in Diego Maradona's 2020 death, told an Argentine court on Wednesday that Luque was innocent and had been made a scapegoat.

Attorney Roberto Rallin rejected prosecutors' argument that Maradona's death was foreseeable. Another defence lawyer, Francisco Oneto, said the former footballer's death resulted from an acute and unpredictable heart attack.

Prosecutors have requested a 12-year prison sentence for Luque, a neurosurgeon described as a key decision-maker for Maradona at the time of his death. They accused him in closing arguments of inaction in the face of warning signs.

Maradona died at age 60 from a cardiorespiratory crisis coupled with pulmonary edema. He was found dead in bed at a residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, where he was recovering after surgery for a subdural hematoma.

Seven health-care professionals have been on trial since April over potential negligence during Maradona's two weeks of convalescence. Prosecutors have sought sentences ranging from four to 12 years for six of the seven defendants.

Luque's lawyers challenged the conclusions of a court-established medical commission, which said Maradona had a history of heart problems that should have been taken into account. The defence said clinical tests before Maradona's surgery did not reveal heart issues.

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