Sports
Maradona’s bipolar, narcissistic disorders revealed in trial testimony
The trial into the death of Diego Maradona has entered a critical phase in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, where prosecutors, family members and medical staff are battling over who bears responsibility for the football icon’s final days after his death on Nov. 25, 2020, at age 60, two weeks after brain surgery, with the central question focused on whether his home care amounted to fatal negligence.
In testimony that reshaped the narrative, psychologist Carlos Diaz told the court Maradona suffered from three chronic conditions: substance addiction, bipolar disorder and a narcissistic personality disorder.
While his struggles with cocaine and alcohol had long been public, the additional diagnoses had never been disclosed, adding weight to the defense’s argument that the former World Cup winner was a complex, high-risk patient whose death was rooted in natural causes rather than malpractice.
Diaz, himself among the seven defendants, described his first meeting with Maradona in October 2020, recalling a frail but reflective figure.
He said those close to the Argentine star linked his substance use to the emotional extremes of elite sport, where success and frustration often fed destructive cycles.
Despite that, Diaz insisted he saw signs of commitment to recovery.
The defense has leaned heavily on that portrayal, arguing that Maradona’s long history of addiction and erratic behavior made consistent treatment difficult and unpredictable.
Prosecutors, however, have pushed back, framing the case as one of abandonment and reckless decision-making in a moment that required strict medical supervision.
That tension sharpened with the testimony of Maradona’s daughter, Gianinna, who accused the medical team of manipulating the family into agreeing to home hospitalization in Tigre following surgery for a brain clot.
She told the court doctors assured them the residence would be fully equipped for serious care, a promise she now says proved dangerously misleading.
“The manipulation was total and horrible,” she said, singling out neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and Diaz. She described trusting their guidance, only to believe later that those decisions left her father without adequate medical support.
A key issue in the trial is whether Maradona should have remained in a clinical setting rather than being treated at home.
Prosecutors argue the decision stripped him of necessary monitoring and timely intervention, contributing directly to his death from heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, a condition marked by fluid buildup in the lungs.
Gianinna’s voice broke as she recounted the moment she rushed to her father’s bedside, only to be told by emergency responders there was nothing they could do.
Her testimony underscored the emotional weight carried by the family, who say they were guided, and ultimately misled, at every step.
Seven members of Maradona’s medical team face charges of homicide with possible intent, a serious accusation that implies they pursued a course of action despite knowing it could end in death.
If convicted, they could receive prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years. All have denied wrongdoing, maintaining that Maradona’s death was the inevitable result of his long-standing health issues.
The trial itself comes after a false start.
An earlier proceeding was annulled when it emerged that one of the judges had been involved in a clandestine documentary about the case, forcing a restart under a new panel.
This second trial, expected to last several months, has drawn intense public attention in Argentina, where Maradona’s death during the COVID-19 pandemic triggered nationwide mourning and mass gatherings despite restrictions.
A FIFA rule change allowing Afghanistan’s women footballers to compete in official matches marks a “historic moment” and recognition of a “basic human right,” former captain Khalida Popal told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday.
Under the new framework, Afghanistan will be eligible in the future to qualify for the Women’s World Cup and the Olympics, a development Popal described as the result of a “long fight.”
“I woke up this morning imagining a young Afghan girl opening her eyes and saying, ‘I’ve got the right to play.’ This is a basic human right,” she said from Copenhagen.
She added: “It’s fantastic news. It’s a historic moment we are still trying to absorb.”
The Afghanistan women’s national team was founded in 2007 in Kabul by Popal and fellow players.
After the Taliban retook power in 2021, about 100 players and family members were evacuated to Melbourne, Australia, while other team members relocated to Europe, Britain and the United States.
Women in Afghanistan are banned from participating in sport, and Taliban authorities have shut down clandestine exercise groups held behind closed doors.
A team of Afghan refugee players was formed across Europe and Australia, playing its first international matches at the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series last year in Morocco.
The team could not play in official competitions because FIFA rules previously required approval from the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan Football Federation.
The FIFA amendment this week allows official recognition of the Afghanistan team through an agreement between FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
It will also apply to other teams in exceptional circumstances that are unable to register a national side.
“It has been a long fight, but we are so grateful this history is made not only for the women of Afghanistan,” Popal said.
“No team, if they face a situation like us, should suffer what we have sacrificed and suffered.”
Afghanistan’s women footballers hope to build an internationally competitive team drawing on players scattered across the globe, she said.
“This announcement will allow us to find the talent within the diaspora,” she said.
The next step is for players to attend trials ahead of possible matches in June.
Afghanistan will not be eligible to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup but will be able to attempt to reach future editions.
“This is a powerful and unprecedented step in world sport,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said following the decision.
“FIFA has listened to these players as part of its responsibility to protect the right of every girl and woman to play football and to represent who they are.”
He added: “FIFA is proud to lead this historic initiative and to stand alongside these courageous players on and off the pitch.”
Scattered across the globe after fleeing Taliban rule, Afghanistan’s exiled women footballers are now daring to dream of uniting on the Olympic stage after being given a path back to international soccer.
Global governing body FIFA approved a rule change on Wednesday allowing them to play official international matches, building on the FIFA-backed Afghan Women United team set up last year for players living outside their homeland.
Goalkeeper Fatima Yousufi, now based in Melbourne with many of the exiles, said the players were overwhelmed when they heard the news.
“100% emotional. Tears of joy because we never stopped representing Afghanistan in our hearts,” the 24-year-old told Reuters in a video call.
“And now the world is finally recognizing that. But at the same time, many girls in Afghanistan still don’t have this opportunity, so this moment is also for them.”
Prior to the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan had 25 women players under contract, most of whom now live in Australia.
Afghan Women United is currently undergoing a selection process, with FIFA hosting regional selection camps in England and Australia.
While Afghanistan will not be eligible to qualify for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year, it could still compete in qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“Thinking about all those opportunities coming up, those events will be the greatest thing that could happen for the team,” Yousufi said, who plays for South Melbourne FC while studying.
“So hopefully we will make that happen.”
Harrowing exit
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women’s sport has effectively disappeared in Afghanistan, while access to education and employment opportunities for women has been severely curtailed.
Like a number of her teammates, Yousufi’s departure from Afghanistan was harrowing.
Carrying only a backpack with a few clothes and a bottle of water, she was evacuated on a plane from Kabul to Dubai with assistance from the Australian government.
She arrived in Australia in a daze, thinking about everything she had lost.
“Even our identity, we had to delete everything. We had to disappear from the public to be safe at the time,” she said.
“It was such a dangerous time, but I’m glad we made it out alive and we’re playing today.”
Yousufi has since been reunited with her parents and all of her siblings in Melbourne.
Life as an immigrant in Australia has been a major adjustment, but the footballing goals remain unchanged.
“In Afghanistan, I was dreaming of seeing the Afghanistan team in the World Cup,” she said.
“And I think if we make that happen, it will be the greatest thing that could happen for Afghanistan women’s soccer.”
Palestine Football Association President Jibril Rajoub declined to shake hands with Basim Sheikh Suliman, vice president of Israel’s football governing body, during a tense moment at the FIFA Congress on Thursday.
After both addressed the gathering, FIFA President Gianni Infantino invited them on stage. The two stood at a noticeable distance as Rajoub voiced his protest away from the microphones before stepping off the stage.
Earlier in the session, Rajoub urged FIFA to act on the Palestine Football Association’s allegations that Israel has violated anti-discrimination rules by permitting clubs based in West Bank settlements.
He confirmed that the PFA is taking the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after FIFA ruled in March not to suspend Israel over its West Bank clubs. FIFA cited the unresolved and complex legal status of the West Bank.
In a separate matter involving an Israeli club, FIFA fined the Israel Football Association $190,000 on disciplinary charges related to “discrimination and racist abuse,” as well as “offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play.”
After both men left the stage at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Infantino thanked them for addressing delegates and made an appeal.
“President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman, let’s work together. Let’s work together to give hope to the children. Let’s work together for that,” Infantino said.
Following the congress, Rajoub made an impassioned appeal, questioning whether Israel has “the right to even be part of FIFA.”
“From my side, I still respect and follow all the legal procedures through FIFA institutions, but I think it’s time to understand that Israel should be sanctioned because of violations of FIFA statutes and human rights,” he said.
Yariv Teper, acting general secretary of the Israel Football Association, declined to comment on the specifics of Rajoub’s remarks but said the IFA would be willing to work with Palestinian counterparts.
“We are at the FIFA Congress,” Teper said. “Our mission is to promote football and a better future for all regions, and this is our mission.”
Palestinian football officials have long argued, including at FIFA annual congresses over the past 15 years, before Infantino became president, that Israel violates statutes by allowing teams from West Bank settlements to play in Israel’s national league.
The disciplinary investigation involving Israeli football was opened 18 months ago in response to a second complaint by the Palestinian federation.
Separately, homelessness advocates and hotel workers rallied outside the FIFA Congress in Vancouver on Thursday, criticizing the city’s preparations for the upcoming World Cup and warning that vulnerable residents and workers are being ignored.
Protesters from an anti-FIFA coalition said the displacement of homeless people had already begun, citing street sweeps, restrictions on tents, and the loss of belongings.
They demanded an end to police sweeps of encampments and World Cup-related escalations, and criticized Vancouver’s February human rights action plan tied to the tournament as weak and lacking firm commitments.
“There’s a lot of anxiety and fear in the community about what’s going to happen with the FIFA games,” Fiona York, a community advocate, told Reuters.
York said many unhoused residents fear a repeat of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, when intensified displacement and policing were widely reported. She argued that money being spent on the tournament could instead support shelters, tiny homes, or safe spaces for people living in vehicles.
“Right now there’s already a crisis, and there’s a big fear that it’s going to get even worse,” she said.
The marchers were joined by hotel workers from Unite Here Local 40 outside the Pan Pacific Hotel, where FIFA Congress delegates were reportedly staying.
Union spokesperson Michelle Travis said soaring hotel prices are not translating into better pay for workers, many of whom must commute long distances because they cannot afford to live in Vancouver.
The protesters called on FIFA and event organizers to ensure the World Cup does not worsen homelessness, displacement, or worker hardship, and suggested a “FIFA dividend” to return money to affected communities.
“People love FIFA, they love football, but they also want to make sure these events are not pushing people out, whether they work in hotels or are living on the streets,” she said.
“They want to see FIFA contribute if it is going to be here.”
Vancouver hosts the first of its seven World Cup matches on June 13.
Pistons’ Cade Cunningham kept the top-seeded Detroit alive in their playoff series against the Orlando Magic, while the Los Angeles Lakers again failed to close out their matchup with the Houston Rockets Wednesday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, meanwhile, pulled off an impressive comeback victory to take a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.
Cunningham scored a Pistons playoff-record 45 points to drag his side to a 116-109 victory on a must-win night, steering Detroit back to a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven series.
The Pistons’ star man, having recently returned from a collapsed lung, played nearly 44 minutes as Detroit avoided a stunning first-round ouster at the hands of eighth-seed Orlando.
“We dug ourselves a big hole. It’s going to be a tough one to climb out of, but we handled business tonight,” said Cunningham.
“We’re at our best when our backs are against the wall,” he added.
Having dominated the Eastern Conference during the regular season, Detroit has faltered badly at the start of the postseason.
Needing to win three in a row to escape the first round, the Pistons came out of the blocks fast in front of a home crowd Wednesday.
Playing with a high energy bordering on desperation, Detroit owned the glass with 17 rebounds in the first quarter, building a 12-point lead.
Cunningham exploded into the game with 20 points in the second quarter alone.
But the gap closed to six points by half-time, and Orlando missed two go-ahead 3-pointer attempts soon after the break.
The Pistons took advantage and powered well clear. Orlando refused to quit, mounting a late charge, including a pair of Paolo Banchero 3-pointers, that narrowed the lead back to three points.
But a Cunningham triple with barely 30 seconds remaining sealed the win. Banchero top-scored for Orlando with 45 points.
The Magic will have another chance to finish a surprise series win Friday back in Orlando. A possible decider would take place in Detroit on Sunday.
LeBron’s 25 in vain
Jabari Smith Jr.’s 22 points helped the Houston Rockets grind out a gritty 99-93 win to bring their series with the Los Angeles Lakers back to 3-2.
The Lakers had led 3-0, but now face a tricky trip to Texas for game six.
The return of key offensive contributor Austin Reaves after nine games out with an oblique injury had boosted the Lakers, who got off to a bright first quarter Wednesday.
But the Rockets – who were again without star forward Kevin Durant with an ankle issue – shot ahead, building a 13-point advantage midway through the final quarter.
A LeBron James driving layup reduced the deficit to single digits with five minutes remaining, pumping up the home crowd.
But it was not to be for the Lakers. Another loss in Houston on Friday would put the Lakers at risk of becoming the first team in history to blow a 3-0 lead in a playoff series.
Veteran 41-year-old superstar James top-scored on the night with 25 points, continuing his remarkable post-season form, but failed to score any of his 3-pointer efforts.
“We just couldn’t make shots,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick.
“Missed some layups, certainly had some good looks for three that didn’t go down. But we’ll take a look at the whole process.”
Cleveland secured a fifth straight win for the home team in their series against Toronto to take a 3-2 lead.
Having twice trailed by 12 points, Cleveland powered back in the second half with a much stronger defensive performance to win 125-120.
Evan Mobley led the rally with 10 points in the third quarter, while Dennis Schroder added 19 off the bench.
The result means all four Eastern Conference first-round playoff series now stand at 3-2.
Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, the youngest championship leader in Formula One history, will target a third straight win this weekend as the series resumes following a monthlong hiatus caused by the Middle East war.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver, triumphant in China and Japan, leads teammate George Russell, who won the season-opening Australian race, by nine points ahead of what is effectively the start of another season, complete with revised rules and widespread car upgrades, at the Miami Grand Prix.
“After a month without any racing, we are ready to get back on track,” said Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff. “We’ve used this break to analyse the opening races, address our weaknesses and raise our level.
“We’ve started the season well, but that counts for very little if you stand still. We know our competitors will have used this time to improve and build a deeper understanding of their cars so we expect the field to be closer in Miami.
“That’s the reality of F1 – it’s a challenge we must rise to.”
Antonelli’s early triumphs made him the first Italian driver since Alberto Ascari in 1953 to win two consecutive races. Ascari completed his treble that season.
Wolff also addressed the tweaks to the regulations to be introduced in Miami, aimed at making the cars and the spectacle more natural, with reduced battery recharging in qualifying and increased super-clipping power to reduce dangerous speed differentials.
He said the revised rules would “respect the DNA of our sport” and deliver an improved spectacle without any significant reduction to Mercedes’ early-season performance advantage.
For Mercedes, this Sunday’s race is an opportunity for a first win in Florida since the event was launched five years ago. It has been won twice by four-time champion Max Verstappen for Red Bull and twice by McLaren, with a win apiece for world champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri.
‘Completely new car’
They will harbor hopes of claiming points too with success in Saturday’s sprint race, won last year by Norris, but Ferrari are widely expected to be strong contenders too, as they arrive in Miami, like McLaren, who are bringing an almost “completely new car,” with a heavily revised package.
“It was one of our best tracks for pure pace, compared to others, last year,” said Norris. “It’s a different track and it may still suit us a little more than others.”
After winning in 2022 and 2023, Verstappen will be aiming to stop Mercedes’ winning run and revive Red Bull’s challenge this year after a discouraging start. He is ninth, on 12 points, 60 adrift of Antonelli, with teammate Isack Hadjar 12th on four.
Ferrari’s duo of Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton are third and fourth, respectively, on 49 and 41 points, with many paddock observers suggesting they are poised to fight for a first win since Carlos Sainz’s success in Mexico in October 2024.
Leclerc’s eighth and last win came at Austin, Texas, shortly before Sainz’s triumph, while Hamilton is chasing his 106th win and first since the 2024 Belgian race before he joined Ferrari.
After a desultory first year, the Briton said he is relishing the challenge of a new formula that has seen him rediscover his racing mojo.
“We’re all recharged after the break,” said Russell, expressing the feelings of most drivers. “I’m hoping we can continue where we left off.”
It will mark newcomer Cadillac’s first racing appearance on home soil in the United States when Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas venture out at the Hard Rock Stadium in a new American livery.
Arsenal and Atletico Madrid traded in spot kicks, playing out a drab 1-1 affair – an antithesis of the PSG-Bayern epic a day earlier – in the second UEFA Champions League semifinal Wednesday.
Julian Alvarez’s 56th-minute penalty secured Atletico Madrid the draw against Arsenal, who had led the first half through a penalty scored by Viktor Gyokeres.
Arsenal were then upset at a late penalty decision being overturned following a VAR review, when David Hancko made contact with Eberechi Eze in the area.
“I’m incredibly fuming,” said Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta. “It’s a clear and very obvious penalty.”
Atletico had the better of it for long periods, but Arsenal’s solid defending helped them leave the Spanish capital in a good position to return to the Champions League final 20 years after their last appearance.
“Here, you have to suffer,” Arteta told Movistar. “Many teams have suffered here, including some of the best in the world.
“We had some good moments in the match and moments where we had to suffer. The margins are very slim.”
Atletico captain Koke said his side could be proud of how they played in the second half.
“We were the team we have to be – if we play at this level, we can win,” Koke told Movistar.
“From my point of view, they didn’t create much danger against us … the team defended well and they just had that penalty,” he added.
What the game lacked in the dizzying goal rush of Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in the other semifinal the night before, it replaced with tension and a desperation not to fall behind.
Toilet paper rained down from the stands of the Metropolitano stadium minutes before kick off, in a striking – if wasteful – display, which invited cynical jokes from some quarters about the calibre of the spectacle ahead.
In a tussle between arguably the continent’s two biggest teams never to lay a finger on the trophy neither wanted to blink first.
Atletico still have an old-style defensive reputation but pinned Mikel Arteta’s miserly Arsenal back in the early stages, with David Raya tipping Alvarez’s shot around the post.
The Gunners, a long way from Arteta’s eve-of-the-game demand, dominated proceedings and looked to smash and grab.
Noni Madueke, starting on Arsenal’s right flank with Bukayo Saka only fit for the bench, hammered just wide as last year’s beaten semifinalists sporadically emerged from their half.
The next time they did, Gyokeres won a penalty. The Swedish striker, who might not have started if Kai Havertz had been fit, exchanged passes with Martin Zubimendi and Hancko clumsily shoved him in the back from behind.
Diego Simeone and Atletico veteran Antoine Griezmann begged for the decision to be reviewed, but VAR saw no reason to intervene.
Gyokeres took the spot-kick himself, walloping it past Jan Oblak, who dived the right way but stood no chance of keeping it out.
Atletico battle back
Three-time runnerups Atletico, back in the semifinals for the first time in nine years, came out guns blazing in the second half.
Raya saved Ademola Lookman’s drive with Gabriel blocking Griezmann’s follow-up.
The hosts pulled level from the penalty spot after White handled Marcos Llorente’s shot, the ball bouncing up and hitting his arm, which was away from his body.
Alvarez took it, and having missed in Atletico’s Copa del Rey final shoot-out defeat earlier in April, this time made no mistake with an unforgiving blast rivalling Gyokeres’s first-half effort.
MLS-bound Griezmann looped a shot off the crossbar and then sent the rebound off target as Atletico turned the screw in pursuit of an advantage to take into next Tuesday’s second leg.
“This is what we have to do in the away game,” said Griezmann. “(The second half) was much better in terms of intensity.”
Nigeria international Lookman twice came close and could end up ruing his missed chances, kept out by the alert Raya.
Arsenal thought they had won a second penalty when substitute Eze went down under a sluggish Hancko challenge, but to their fury, the referee changed his mind after a VAR review, deciding the Slovakian defender’s contact was minimal.
Arsenal next take on Fulham as they continue their battle with Manchester City for the Premier League title, while with little to play for in La Liga, Simeone will rotate heavily, before this tie is decided in London.
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, two clubs with proud European pedigrees, meet in the Europa League semifinals Thursday just one step away from their first continental final in decades.
English clubs dominated the European Cup, now known as the Champions League, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with two triumphs for Forest and one for Villa.
But the clubs – just 80 kilometres (50 miles) apart in the English Midlands – have had contrasting seasons as they prepare for the first leg Thursday.
Unai Emery’s Villa are on course for a return to Europe’s top club competition after a strong Premier League campaign.
Forest, by contrast, remain at risk of relegation, though the club have turned a corner under Vitor Pereira, who is their fourth manager during a chaotic campaign.
The club are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions, reaching a first European semifinal in 42 years.
A 5-0 demolition of Sunderland last week followed a 4-1 victory over Burnley, with goals suddenly flowing for a side that had been blunt under Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche.
“Everyone is scoring, which makes us happy,” said Pereira. “It’s a good feeling. We’re eight games unbeaten now, and it’s important to keep this mentality.”
Forest’s heyday came under Brian Clough, who masterminded back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, while Villa were continental champions two years later.
But both teams have been starved of success in the decades since, which have included spells in the lower tiers of English football.
Emery pedigree
Villa have flourished since Emery joined the club in 2022 and are favorites to end their 30-year wait for a major trophy, with Freiburg or Braga awaiting the winners in next month’s final in Istanbul.
Two years ago, Villa reached the semifinals of the UEFA Conference League in their first taste of European competition for 13 years.
Last season, they gave Paris Saint-Germain a scare before bowing out 5-4 on aggregate to the eventual winners in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
And Emery is no stranger to Europa League glory, having won the second-tier competition four times during his spells at Sevilla and Villarreal.
“I know how difficult it is to win a European trophy. European competition is very important to us and it’s given me so much in my career as a coach,” said the Spaniard.
“Now I’m trying to experience that with the players and supporters at Aston Villa.”
“Forest have a history in Europe as well, because they won the European Cup like Aston Villa, so it is something special for us and for them.”
Winning the Europa League would give Forest access to the Champions League for the first time since 1980, when they were the holders.
The dreams of a clutch of other Premier League clubs could depend on the performance of Emery’s men.
Should Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth, the sixth-placed team in the Premier League would qualify for the Champions League.
Forest host Villa in the first leg of the semifinal Thursday, with the second leg taking place a week later.
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