BUENOS AIRES, Sep 13 (V7N) – On Thursday, an Argentine court postponed the much-anticipated criminal trial of seven out of eight medical professionals charged with negligence in the death of football icon Diego Maradona, pushing the start date to March 2025.

Originally scheduled to begin next month after a previous delay in May, the trial will now commence on March 11, 2025, according to a ruling obtained by AFP.

Maradona passed away in November 2020 at the age of 60, following brain surgery for a blood clot. He had long struggled with cocaine and alcohol addictions. The legendary footballer was found dead from a heart attack in his bed, two weeks after the procedure, at a rented home in an upscale Buenos Aires neighborhood where he was recovering post-hospital discharge.

In 2023, an Argentine appeals court upheld a decision to put neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, and six other healthcare workers, including nurses, on trial for their roles in Maradona's care. One nurse, Gisela Dahiana Madrid, has requested a separate jury trial, which will proceed on October 2.

Prosecutors accuse the medical team of providing "reckless" and "substandard" home care to Maradona. A 2021 report by a panel of 20 medical experts concluded that with appropriate medical attention at a specialized facility, Maradona's chances of survival would have been higher.

If convicted, the accused face prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years.

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