Maradona death trial: 'Things were done very badly,' says lawyer Víctor Stinfale

Víctor Stinfale, a lawyer and close friend of the late football icon Diego Maradona, has testified in the ongoing trial investigating potential criminal responsibility for the legend's death. Stinfale, who also handled some of Maradona's legal affairs, expressed strong reservations about the care Maradona received in his final days.

"Things were done very badly" concerning the manner of Maradona's death, Stinfale stated to the court. He recalled visiting Maradona at his home in Brandsen on October 30, 2020, Maradona's 60th birthday. At the time, Maradona was struggling, having difficulty speaking and walking, as evidenced by his appearance at a tribute during a Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata match that day.

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Spiderman [as Diego called the lawyer], they are going to operate on me, I need you to help me.

Stinfale recounted a significant phone call from Maradona on November 3, 2020, the day he was scheduled for surgery. "They are going to operate on me, I need you to help me," Maradona reportedly told him. Following this call, Stinfale contacted Leopoldo Luque, the neurosurgeon who would operate on Maradona.

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You don't have the backbone to operate on him. I perceived that he was not a doctor to touch Maradona's head.

Stinfale expressed his doubts about Luque's suitability to operate on Maradona's head, recalling Luque's prior public statements about Maradona's addiction. Despite his concerns, Maradona was operated on. Stinfale also noted Luque's emotional state before the surgery, describing him as a "bundle of nerves" who seemed to care for Maradona.

Further testimony touched upon a meeting at the clinic after Maradona's surgery, where attendees were reportedly happy with his progress. Stinfale was accompanied by a doctor of his confidence to the clinic, and he recalled an interaction with Maradona's daughter Gianinna, who seemingly agreed with his reservations about the medical team's handling of the situation.

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Finally, Maradona was operated on and Luque did not participate in the intervention, but he was the one who communicated to the media that everything had gone well.