Autopsy results of 'Golden Boy' Maradona announced

An Argentine court announced the results of an autopsy today, March 28, during the trial of the doctors and nurses who treated Diego Maradona before his death.

According to forensic expert Carlos Mauricio Cassinelli, the late football star suffered severe pain for 12 hours due to fluid accumulation in the abdomen and lungs. The cause of death was determined to be acute pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure, with the heart twice its normal weight. According to Cassinelli, Maradona's condition at that time allowed him to be treated at home.

"The heart was completely covered with fat and blood clots, indicating pain," Cassinelli told the court. "The patient had been suffering from fluid retention for several days. This condition was not acute, it was predictable and any doctor would have seen it."

On November 3, 2020, Maradona had to undergo emergency brain surgery to treat a subdural hematoma. He was discharged from the hospital on November 12 and was monitored by doctors as an outpatient. On November 25, the "Golden Boy" of Argentine football suffered a cardiac arrest and died in his sleep at his home in Dique Lujan, Buenos Aires.

On March 25, more than four years after Maradona's death, the trial of seven doctors and nurses who treated him began. The prosecutor's office has charged Maradona's personal physician, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, another doctor, the insurance company's medical coordinator and two nurses with manslaughter for failing to provide adequate medical care.

The defendants deny the charges. The trial could last four months, with three hearings held each week. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 25 years in prison.

Maradona is one of the greatest players in the history of world football. He won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986 and reached the final four years later. He also helped Napoli win two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup, the first and biggest trophies in the club's history.