Maradona masseur recalls last words he heard on eve of death | OneFootball

According to Superdeporte, Nicolás Taffarel, Maradona’s masseur in his final two weeks, told the court on Thursday the star was badly oedematous, had stopped diuretics and, on the eve of his death, refused further help.

He visited the house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires where home care ran from 11 to 25 November 2020. Seeing him on 24 November, he said the patient had not risen for days and declined to get out of bed.

Taffarel said he only managed to treat him in the opening days. Afterwards Maradona stayed in his room and would not get up, eat, change, wash or accept massages.

Evidence shown in court captured Taffarel urging doctor Leopoldo Luque to attend, warning about severe swelling and long sleep. Luque replied they should stay calm, saying it was normal and temporary. Taffarel said the swelling instead worsened.

He described a desperate situation and said a nurse told him diuretics had been withdrawn shortly before death. When he asked Luque, he said insurer doctors handled it, referring to Swiss Medical, which provided services during home care.

The court heard that Pedro Di Spagna, the clinician engaged by Swiss Medical as a consultant, saw Maradona once and did not discontinue medication. The autopsy cited acute pulmonary oedema in chronic cardiomyopathy worsened by heart failure.

Alongside Luque, defendants are psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Díaz, coordinator Nancy Forlini, clinician Pedro Di Spagna, nursing coordinator Mariano Perroni and nurse Ricardo Almirón, all accused of simple homicide with eventual intent.

Source: Superdeporte

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