Doctors and nurses who cared for Diego Maradona to be tried for homicide

Doctors, nurses and a psychologist who took care of the Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona will be tried for homicide, according to a ruling released after an investigation into his death from cardiac arrest.

The judge in charge of the case questioned "the behaviours - active or by omission - of each of the accused which led to and contributed to the realisation of the harmful result," the document, seen by Reuters, states.

The ruling concluded the eight individuals who looked after Maradona at the time of his death, are accused of "simple homicide".

According to Argentina's penal code, this crime typically leads to a sentence of eight to 25 years in prison. There is no set date for the trial yet.

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The defendants have denied responsibility for Maradona's death, with some of their lawyers having requested for the case to be dismissed, according to the judge.

Maradona, considered one of the greatest football players in history, died in November 2020 of a heart attack in Buenos Aires, aged 60. He had been recovering at home from surgery on a brain blood clot earlier that month.

Following his death, prosecutors ordered searches of properties of Maradona's personal doctor and started probing other people involved in his care.

Last year, a panel of experts appointed to examine his death found the footballer's medical team acted in an "inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner".

At club level, Maradona was best known in Europe for his spell at Napoli where he won the Serie A title on two occasions. Additionally, he was a club hero at Boca Juniors in his native Argentina where he had two spells as a player. Maradona will always be remembered for his 'Hand of God' goal against England at the 1986 World Cup when he outjumped England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to punch the ball into the net, as Argentina went on to win 2-1 in the quarter final.