Swollen Fingers, Breathlessness: Court Told Doctors Ignored 'Warning Signs' Before Maradona's Death

Published 11 August 2026 · health

News world Swollen Fingers, Breathlessness: Court Told Doctors Ignored 'Warning Signs' Before Maradona's Death Swollen Fingers, Breathlessness: Court Told Doctors Ignored 'Warning Signs' Before Maradona's Death Published By, Last Updated: August 12, 2026, 02:26 IST Forensic physician Carlos Cassinelli told an Argentine court that Maradona showed serious health problems before his 2020 death, but doctors failed to respond. A local resident walks along a mural depicting the Argentine football player Diego Maradona in the village of Staro Zhelezare. (AFP file photo) Diego Maradona showed several signs of serious health problems before his death in 2020, but doctors failed to respond to them, a forensic physician told a court in Argentina on Tuesday. Carlos Cassinelli, a member of a medical board that reviewed Maradona’s medical records and other evidence, said the football legend’s condition deteriorated during his home hospitalisation in the weeks before his death.

Cassinelli pointed to swelling in Maradona’s legs and fingers, shortness of breath, high blood pressure and an unusually fast heart rate as warning signs that should have prompted further medical attention. He told the court in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, that no one investigated the cause of the swelling despite the potential danger. “We believe these warning signs were not taken into account by the doctors because their approach did not change," he said. ‘The Deterioration Was Progressive’ Cassinelli said doctors appeared not to change their approach even as Maradona’s condition worsened, adding that he believed moving the former footballer to home care after surgery had been a mistake. “The deterioration was progressive… A warning could have been issued," he told the court, saying there should have been a warning about the worsening condition. Maradona died in November 2020, about two weeks after undergoing surgery for a brain blood clot.

He suffered heart failure and acute pulmonary oedema, a condition in which fluid builds up in the lungs. Cassinelli also said Maradona endured around 12 hours of severe distress before his death. Seven healthcare professionals have been on trial in Argentina since April over allegations of negligence that prosecutors say may have contributed to the 60-year-old’s death. The accused have denied responsibility and argued that Maradona died from natural causes. The former Argentina captain had a long history of health problems and struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction. The case has drawn widespread attention in Argentina, where Maradona remains one of the country’s most celebrated sporting figures. The trial is examining whether the medical team failed in its duty of care during the final weeks of his life. Proceedings are expected to continue for several more weeks and could extend beyond August.