Shocking new details are emerging from the trial into the death of football legend Diego Maradona, as Argentine prosecutors investigate whether medical negligence contributed to his death. One of the strongest testimonies presented in the trial came from physiotherapist and masseur Nicolás Taffarel, who described Maradona's deteriorating physical and psychological condition in the final days of his life.

According to Taffarel, the former Argentina captain had been going through a difficult period, losing interest in daily activities and refusing basic personal care. “He wouldn’t get out of bed, he didn’t want to eat and he didn’t even want to bathe,” the witness told the court. He said he had warned the medical team several times about Maradona’s deteriorating condition and had asked for him to be monitored daily, but he said he had received no concrete response.

"I told him about the problems I was seeing, but I saw neither specific actions nor an immediate reaction," Taffarel said. An audio message was also played during the court hearing, which the prosecution said supports the claim that the physiotherapist had raised concerns about the former footballer's deteriorating condition. Taffarel also described the physical changes he had noticed in Maradona in recent weeks.

"He was swollen, his legs were swollen. They told me not to worry, that everything would pass. When you are in such a situation, you trust the doctors and think that everything will be fixed. But that did not happen," he said. One of the most touching moments of the testimony was the account of the last meeting between Taffarel and Maradona, on November 24, 2020, just one day before his death.

The physiotherapist said he had suggested they sit together to drink mate, the traditional Argentine drink, but Maradona had refused. “He told me: 'I don't want anything, Taffita, that's enough'. I asked him: What do you mean by 'enough'? And he replied: 'Nothing... that's enough. That's it,'” the witness said. According to him, those words showed a heavy emotional state and a man who seemed to have lost the will to fight.

Investigations into the last hours of life
One of the main issues in the trial remains the manner and time of the death of Maradona, who passed away on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60. Forensic examinations have raised suspicions that he may have spent several hours in a serious condition before passing away, while experts have not agreed on the exact duration of this period.

Seven members of Maradona's medical team are on trial and face charges that could carry sentences of up to 25 years in prison. They deny the charges and claim they acted within their professional competence.

Messages from a group chat between security guards at Maradona's residence have also been released during the trial. In some of them, after his death, members of the group said that doctors were "panicking" and that they could end up in prison. The trial is expected to continue with more evidence, as authorities try to determine whether the death of one of the greatest footballers in history was a natural consequence of his health problems or the result of a failure in medical care.