Argentine court declares mistrial in case over death of football star Maradona

Argentina’s Diego Maradona (PA)

An Argentine court has declared a mistrial in the case of seven health professionals accused of negligence in the death of former football star Diego Maradona.

It was the latest dramatic twist in a trial that has captivated the nation and the football world for more than two months.

The decision comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial stepped down amid criticism surrounding her participation in a forthcoming documentary about the case.

Her withdrawal compelled the court to either appoint a new judge in her place or to retry the entire case from scratch.

On Thursday, the judges decided the latter, effectively turning the clock back on all proceedings in the case that accuses Maradona’s medical team of failing to provide adequate care for the soccer star in his final days.