Three judges upheld a year-old indictment by prosecutors for ‘reckless and inefficient work’ in the treatment of the player.

The footballing great, who led Argentina to a second World Cup title in 1986, died aged 60 on November 2020, from heart failure after undergoing brain surgery days earlier.

Three judges from an appeals court in San Isidro, a town on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, rejected defence appeals for a lesser charge and upheld a year-old indictment by prosecutors for “reckless and inefficient work” in the treatment of the former Boca Juniors and Napoli player, TV channel TN reported.

Neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov are accused of failing to care for Maradona.

Maradona’s medical team also included psychologist Carlos Diaz, doctors Nancy Forlini and Pedro Di Spagna, nursing coordinator Mariano Perroni and nurses Ricardo Almiron and Dahiana Madrid.

According to reports from November 11 to 25, Maradona lived in a rented residence outside Buenos Aires; two nurses accompanied him after being discharged from the clinic where Neurosurgeon Luque performed his surgery.

According to El Pais, Maradona’s medical team consistently stated that he was a patient who was difficult to treat. The most recent picture of Maradona, taken 10 days before his death, showed him hugging Luque with a bandage on his head after the operation.

The date of the proceedings has yet to be set, but they are unlikely to begin before next year, the court said on Tuesday.

Maradona, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986, died on November 25, 2020.

His autopsy showed he died of natural causes.