Maradona trial delayed after medical records mix-up with father

The second trial over Diego Maradona's 2020 death was thrown into turmoil after it emerged that the medical board's key evidence included clinical studies belonging to his father, also named Diego Maradona, rather than the footballer. The discovery came during a hearing on Tuesday, August 18, when defense lawyers for Nancy Forlini, a Swiss Medical coordinator, pointed out that patient codes on the documents did not match Maradona's Source: ABC. The tribunal has ordered searches of Swiss Medical and the Los Arcos clinic to verify the records' authenticity Source: La Voz del Interior.

The dispute

The prosecution, led by fiscal Patricio Ferrari, alleges a deliberate attempt to derail the case: "Nos engañaron, cometieron delito y ahora quieren voltear el juicio" Source: Clarín. Ferrari noted that Maradona was abroad during the dates of the disputed studies, citing migration records Source: lavozar. In contrast, defense lawyer Nicolás D'Albora insists it was an "error involuntario" by the laboratory area, and that he is not seeking to nullify the trial Source: listindiario.

Impact on the trial

The tribunal has postponed proceedings until August 27 to investigate, but clarified that "la eventual comprobación de que una o más piezas documentarias no correspondieran a la víctima no determinará por sí sola la invalidez del restante conjunto documental" Source: ABC. Fernando Burlando, representing two of Maradona's daughters, downplayed the impact, asserting that "la fortaleza de las conclusiones de la junta médica es apabullante" Source: La Voz del Interior. Seven health professionals face charges of homicide with eventual intent, carrying up to 25 years in prison Source: LA Times. This is the second trial; the first was annulled in 2025 over a judge's misconduct Source: lavozar.