The court ordered the suspension after defense lawyers complained about the judge's alleged involvement in a documentary about the case.

Maradona died on November 25, 2020, aged 60, while recovering at home from brain surgery for a blood clot, after decades battling cocaine and alcohol addictions.

More than 100 witnesses, including members of Maradona's family and doctors who tended to him down the years, will take the stand over the course of the four-month trial, which starts Tuesday in the Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro.