Diego Maradona’s body will be moved to a new public memorial in a historic part of Buenos Aires after a judge allowed his corpse to be exhumed.
The Argentinian legend has been buried in the Jardin Bella Vista cemetery, also in the country’s capital, since dying aged 60 in 2020 following a heart attack in his home.
His children have been planning to create a dedicated mausoleum since 2021 and hope to have it ready next year in the Puerto Madero neighbourhood.
A judge ruled the move lawful on Tuesday, as per Spanish outlet Relevo, and the monument will be called the ‘Memorial del Diez’ or ‘M10 Memorial’ after the shirt number he graced.
It is there that Maradona, captain of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning team, will ‘find eternal rest’ according to his family.
Diego Maradona’s body will be moved to a dedicated public memorial after a judge said yes
The Argentina and Napoli legend died aged 60 in 2020 after having a heart attack at home
He was laid to rest at the Jardin Bella Vista garden cemetery but his family have been planning a special mausoleum for him
As his family said, it will be ‘a place of eternal rest where he can be visited and receive the recognition and love of the millions of people who express it daily through different means.’
Maradona died aged 60 just two weeks after he was released from hospital following surgery for a bleed on his brain.
His infamous ‘hand of God’ goal against England in the quarter-finals of the World Cup is one of the most iconic moments in football history and was voted ‘goal of the century’.
Maradona’s last words before he died were ‘I feel sick,’ as he told his nephew.
After his death three days of mourning were declared by then-Argentinian president Alberto Fernandez.
Thousands of mourners poured onto the streets of Buenos Aires and Naples in Italy to honour Maradona as stadiums across Europe fell silent ahead of Champions League clashes after he passed away.
Maradona was survived by five children, including his daughters Dalma and Giannina, by his wife Claudia Villafane, to whom he was married from 1984 to 2004.
He had his youngest son Diego Fernando with his long-term girlfriend Veronica Ojeda in 2013; while he only acknowledged Diego Junior and daughter Jana in the five years up to his death, with both having been born after short flings.
His family still have outstanding legal claims connected to his death. In March, a judge will preside over a case in which his daughters Giannina and Dalma claim his medical team are culpable for his death.
