Argentine media reported that a psychiatrist accused in the death of Diego Maradona told an Argentine court that the late football legend suffered from bipolar disorder and had narcissistic tendencies.
Dr. Carlos Diaz, 34, faces charges of manslaughter due to negligence for prescribing inappropriate medication. He is one of seven defendants charged with criminal responsibility for the death of the former Argentine national team captain and coach.
The Argentine newspaper El Clarin quoted Diaz as saying in court in Buenos Aires on Thursday: "Maradona suffered from bipolar disorder and narcissism. He was capable of subjugating an entire country, but one glass of alcohol was enough to bring him down."
He stressed that Maradona needed a strict treatment program that would completely prevent him from consuming alcohol.
Diaz explained that he met Maradona on October 26, 2020, 29 days before his death, noting that he found him drinking alcohol on a sofa, according to the Argentine newspaper "La Nación".
He added, according to the same newspaper, "The scene shocked me, because he looked exactly like my father, an alcoholic who died a few months ago."
Diaz told the court that he believed Maradona was seeking to change his lifestyle, and therefore designed his treatment program based on complete abstinence from alcohol, according to the newspaper El Clarin.
He added that the toxicology report showed that Maradona died 23 days after he stopped using drugs.
In the same context, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, another defendant in the case, testified on Thursday, saying that the home treatment Maradona received was appropriate and was not intended to be a substitute for an intensive care unit, according to the newspaper El Clarin.
Maradona is considered one of the greatest football players in history, having won numerous titles with Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli, and leading Argentina to the World Cup title in 1986.
Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, following surgery to remove a blood clot in the brain.
The court is considering whether members of his medical team and his care team bear criminal responsibility for his death.
