José Antonio Maya, the clinical doctor and expert who testified in favour of Leopoldo Luque, the main defendant in the case of the death of Diego Armando Maradona, revealed that there were warning signs that could have been detected before the football legend died. First, though, Maradona had to allow doctors to examine him.
Maya told the trial, according to the Spanish newspaper "Marca": "Maradona died suddenly, and there was no alternative. The things that could have been detected required at least that the doctor be able to see him. What could be proven is the principle of autonomy. It was not Maradona's fault, but it was his responsibility."
The principle of medical autonomy refers to the patient's right to make their own decisions freely and based on complete information about their condition and the treatments they receive.
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On 18 November 2020, one week before his death, Maradona ended his relationship with the family doctor Leopoldo Luque, the clinical doctor appointed by the company "Swiss Medical", Pedro Di Spagna, and the nutritionist Luciano Spina. Several witnesses at the trial also described him as a "difficult patient".
Di Spagna went to Maradona's home after a nurse reported swelling in one of his legs, Maya explained, but the Argentine star refused to see him. He added: "When Maradona felt ill, he allowed the doctors to intervene, but during that period he felt well enough not to give the doctor the opportunity to intervene."
On his cardiac condition, Maya denied that Maradona was suffering from heart disease or was clearly at risk of it. The oedema may not have been a direct cause for concern, he pointed out, but it was "a warning sign that called for examination".
The multidisciplinary medical board in which Maya took part had concluded that the medical team's actions were "inadequate, deficient and reckless". Maya presented a report contradicting that conclusion.
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