Football legend, Diego Maradona reportedly suffered a head injury after a fall at his home a week before he died from a heart attack but was never taken to the hospital.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica claim that the Argentine icon who had only recently had surgery on his brain to remove a blood clot, was not taken for a scan after falling and hitting his head at home.
A lawyer representing a nurse who worked for Maradona is reported to have said: ‘Maradona fell to the ground seven days before his death. He fell and hit his head but they didn’t take him to the hospital for an MRI or a CT scan.’
The shocking revelation comes as Maradona’s personal doctor Leopoldo Luque is being probed over medical negligence as police launch an investigation into his death.
The report also confirmed speculation that Maradona was alone in his house in Buenos Aires when he died from a heart attack aged 60.
An autopsy report said he died in his sleep after suffering heart failure. Medics also detected dilated cardiomyopathy, a medical condition in which the heart muscle becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump enough blood to the rest of the body.
The same nurse’s lawyer also said that she had spoken with Maradona on the Friday before his death but was fired on Saturday.
According to her lawyer, she remained at the request of Maradona’s entourage to administer his medication but was no longer taking his blood pressure or controlling him.
On Sunday, police raided the home of Maradona’s physician Luque and investigators are looking into all the medical staff involved with his care after his daughters Dalma and Giannina gave statements questioning whether the medication their father was receiving was appropriate.
Repubblica are also reporting that documents have emerged showing that Dr. Cosachov had requested 24-hour specialist and nursing assistance for the former Argentina star before his death but Luque didn’t not arranged for that to happen.
On Monday Luque addressed these claims and told reporters that Maradona was ‘unmanageable’ and should have been sent to rehab.
He said: ‘I was shocked when police turned up at my door. I’m going to co-operate fully.
‘I know what I did and what I did was for Diego’s benefit until the last moment. I did the best I could.
‘I feel terrible because a friend died. I don’t blame myself for anything. It’s very unfair what’s happening.
‘I didn’t see Diego’s daughters a lot but the rest of his family, his siblings and his nephews adore me.
‘Someone is trying to find a scapegoat here when I don’t see one anywhere.
‘We all did the best we could with Diego.’