<p>Argentine football icon Diego Maradona received inadequate medical care and was left to his fate for a "prolonged, agonising period" before he died last year, an expert medical panel concluded Friday.</p>.<p>In a 70-page document, the panel stated that Maradona, who succumbed to a heart attack on November 25 at the age of 60, "started to die at least 12 hours before" the moment he was found dead in his bed.</p>.<p>Maradona died just weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a blood clot.</p>.<p>A panel of 20 experts was convened by Argentina's public prosecutor to examine the cause of death and to determine if there had been any negligence.</p>.<p>Maradona's neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and psychologist Carlos Diaz are under investigation as well as two nurses, a nursing coordinator and a medical coordinator.</p>.<p>The finding could result in a case of wrongful death, and a prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted.</p>.<p>The legal proceedings were prompted by a complaint filed by two of Maradona's five daughters against Luque, whom they blamed for their father's deteriorating condition after the brain operation.</p>.<p>Maradona underwent surgery on November 3, just four days after he celebrated his 60th birthday at the club he coached, Gimnasia y Esgrima.</p>.<p>However, he appeared in poor health then, and had trouble speaking.</p>.<p>Maradona had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions during his life.</p>.<p>He was suffering from liver, kidney and cardiovascular disorders when he died.</p>.<p>Two of the football great's daughters have accused Luque of responsibility in Maradona's deteriorating health.</p>.<p>The panel concluded that Maradona "would have had a better chance of survival" with adequate treatment in an appropriate medical facility.</p>.<p>He died in his bed in a rented house in an exclusive Buenos Aires neighborhood, where he was receiving home care.</p>.<p>Maradona did not have "full use of his mental faculties" and should not have been left to decide where he would be treated, the experts said.</p>.<p>They also found that his treatment was rife with "deficiencies and irregularities" and the medical team had left his survival "to fate".</p>.<p>Sebastian Sanchi, a former spokesman for Maradona, told AFP, "it is clear that the panel says that things were not done right."</p>.<p>Maradona is an idol to millions of Argentines after he inspired the South American country to only its second World Cup triumph in 1986.</p>.<p>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.</p>
<p>Argentine football icon Diego Maradona received inadequate medical care and was left to his fate for a "prolonged, agonising period" before he died last year, an expert medical panel concluded Friday.</p>.<p>In a 70-page document, the panel stated that Maradona, who succumbed to a heart attack on November 25 at the age of 60, "started to die at least 12 hours before" the moment he was found dead in his bed.</p>.<p>Maradona died just weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a blood clot.</p>.<p>A panel of 20 experts was convened by Argentina's public prosecutor to examine the cause of death and to determine if there had been any negligence.</p>.<p>Maradona's neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and psychologist Carlos Diaz are under investigation as well as two nurses, a nursing coordinator and a medical coordinator.</p>.<p>The finding could result in a case of wrongful death, and a prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted.</p>.<p>The legal proceedings were prompted by a complaint filed by two of Maradona's five daughters against Luque, whom they blamed for their father's deteriorating condition after the brain operation.</p>.<p>Maradona underwent surgery on November 3, just four days after he celebrated his 60th birthday at the club he coached, Gimnasia y Esgrima.</p>.<p>However, he appeared in poor health then, and had trouble speaking.</p>.<p>Maradona had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions during his life.</p>.<p>He was suffering from liver, kidney and cardiovascular disorders when he died.</p>.<p>Two of the football great's daughters have accused Luque of responsibility in Maradona's deteriorating health.</p>.<p>The panel concluded that Maradona "would have had a better chance of survival" with adequate treatment in an appropriate medical facility.</p>.<p>He died in his bed in a rented house in an exclusive Buenos Aires neighborhood, where he was receiving home care.</p>.<p>Maradona did not have "full use of his mental faculties" and should not have been left to decide where he would be treated, the experts said.</p>.<p>They also found that his treatment was rife with "deficiencies and irregularities" and the medical team had left his survival "to fate".</p>.<p>Sebastian Sanchi, a former spokesman for Maradona, told AFP, "it is clear that the panel says that things were not done right."</p>.<p>Maradona is an idol to millions of Argentines after he inspired the South American country to only its second World Cup triumph in 1986.</p>.<p>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.</p>