23, February 2021
Argentina: Calls for medical board to rule on Maradona death 0
Argentina’s public prosecutor’s office will convene a medical board on March 8 to decide whether or not late football legend Diego Maradona was given proper treatment before his death, legal sources said on Tuesday.
Maradona died of a heart attack on November 25, weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a blood clot.
Investigators are trying to determine whether or not there was negligence in Maradona’s health care before he died.
Nine experts will be called on March 8 including the medical examiners that took part in Maradona’s autopsy.
The public prosecutor in San Isidro, a suburb of the capital Buenos Aires, has also called two more witnesses to appear before investigators on Thursday: a nursing coordinator and the doctor tasked with coordinating Maradona’s home care during the days before he died.
Five other people, including neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, are already under investigation in the involuntary manslaughter probe.
The latest two people included in the investigation were members of a WhatsApp chat group discussing Maradona’s care, local media reported.
Two of Maradona’s daughters — Gianinna, 31, and Jana, 24 — will also appear before prosecutors on Thursday.
They have accused Luque of responsibility in Maradona’s deteriorating health.
A first autopsy conducted the day Maradona died found he had suffered from liquid on the lungs with acute heart failure brought on by a disease of the heart muscles that makes it harder to pump blood. His heart was twice the normal size.
Maradona is an idol to millions of Argentines after he inspired the South American country to only its second World Cup triumph in 1986.
An attacking midfielder who spent two years with Spanish giants Barcelona, he is also loved in Naples where he helped Napoli win the only two Serie A titles in the club’s history.
He was coach of Argentine top flight outfit Gimnasia y Esgrima when he died.
He had celebrated his 60th birthday on October 30 at the club but looked in poor physical health and seemed to have trouble speaking.
Sources close to Maradona said he suffered from depression during eight months of coronavirus restrictions that confined him to home as he was considered a high-risk person.
Maradona was suffering from liver, kidney and cardiovascular disorders when he died.
He had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions during his life.
Source: AFP
25, February 2021
Football: Mendy’s late strike puts Real Madrid in sight of Champions League quarters 0
Ferland Mendy scored late as Real Madrid beat 10-man Atalanta 1-0 on Wednesday to close in on the Champions League quarter-finals.
The French left-back’s strike in Bergamo came four minutes from time in a last 16 first leg game which the hosts played a man down for over 70 minutes as Zinedine Zidane’s side hold the advantage heading into the second leg in Madrid on March 16.
Atalanta had attacked early but the game was transformed when Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler was harshly send off on 17 minutes for tripping Mendy at the edge of the penalty area.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s woes continued with forward Duvan Zapata limping off after half an hour with a muscular problem with midfielder Mario Pasalic coming off the bench.
Spanish midfielder Isco got a rare start up front for injury-hit Real Madrid playing alongside Marco Asensio and Vinicius.
The 13-time European champions were without striker Karim Benzema due to an ankle problem with an injury list also including Sergio Ramos, Eden Hazard and Dani Carvajal.
But Zidane’s side failed to make the most of the extra man despite coming closest to breaking through in the first half with a Casemiro header, with Nacho, Isco and Vinícius Junior also threatening and Luka Modric sending over the goal.
Zapata and in-form Luis Muriel lead the Atalanta attack in their first meeting with Real Madrid.
Atalanta continued to attack, with Muriel missing a chance to give the hosts the advantage four minutes before the break with a long-range strike that went just wide.
Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini kept the hosts in the game keeping out a Casemiro header on a free kick before the half-time whistle.
Modric sent wide of the post after the break and sent through for Vinícius but was headed away from the Brazilian.
Josip Illicic came on in place of Muriel after 56 minutes.
The Slovenian scored five goals against Valencia at this stage of the competition last season, but was substituted off four minutes from time after a poor display.
Soon afterwards Madrid broke through thanks to Mendy, who beat Gollini with a stunning curling effort into the top corner.
Real have the advantage going into the second leg having missed out on the quarter-finals for the last two seasons.
Atalanta need a historic effort in the away leg to reach the last eight for a second successive year.
The Bergamo side won their last 16, first leg clash against Valencia 4-1 a year ago on front of 45,000 spectators in Milan’s San Siro.
That match was considered to have been one of the reasons behind the acceleration of the virus in Italy with Bergamo at the epicentre of the country’s outbreak.
The were playing their second Champions League campaign, but the first knock-out match in their home stadium which underwent renovations last season when they reached the last eight.
And thousands of fans ignored the Italian team’s plea to stay away with a party atmosphere outside the stadium with a fireworks display.
Source: AFP