A psychologist charged in the trial over Diego Maradona’s death told an Argentine court on Thursday that the footballer had bipolar disorder, was a narcissist and needed an alcohol-free treatment plan, Argentine media reported.
Carlos Diaz, 34, is charged with manslaughter with reckless intent for being prescribed the wrong medication. He is one of seven defendants accused of criminal responsibility for the death of the former Argentina captain and coach.
“There was bipolar disorder and narcissism,” the newspaper El Clarin quoted Diaz as saying during the trial in Buenos Aires. “He could bring a country to its knees, but one drink of alcohol could bring him to its knees.”
Diaz said he met Maradona on October 26, 2020, 29 days before the former footballer died, and that Maradona was drinking wine on a sofa at the time, La Nacion Argentina reported.
“The first image shocked me because he was just like my father, an alcoholic, who had died a few months earlier,” the newspaper quoted Diaz as saying.
Diaz told the court he believed Maradona wanted to change his lifestyle and tailor the star’s treatment to abstinence from alcohol, El Clarin reported. He also said the toxicology report showed Maradona’s life ended after 23 days without drug use.
The attacking player won trophies with teams such as Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli, and led Argentina to the World Cup title in 1986. He died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, after surgery for a subdural hematoma.
The trial will investigate whether members of his medical and care team bear criminal responsibility for his death.
Neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, another defendant, also testified Thursday, saying Maradona’s home admission was appropriate and was not intended to function as an intensive care unit, El Clarin reported.
Published on May 1, 2026
