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Monday October 20, 2008

Maradona owes Italy millions in taxes

ROME: Argentina legend Diego Maradona still owes the Italian tax-man €36mil, outstanding from his seven-year spell at Napoli from 1984-1991.

President of the Italian Tax Association Vittorio Carlomango, quoted by the Ansa news agency, said that Maradona had paid back about a 10th of one per cent of what he owed.

“The Italian tax office has not managed to obtain from Maradona more than 0.11 per cent of what he owes the public treasury: 36mil. It’s deflating,” he said.

“Of the €36mil, there’s €22.4mil of interest.”

He added that Maradona had only paid back 42,051.05 and two luxury watches.

Maradona joined Napoli from Barcelona in 1984 and helped the southerners to win their only two Serie A titles before his time in Italy came to an end following a positive test for cocaine that saw him cop a 15-month ban.

In recent years he has suffered severe health problems due to drink, drugs and over-eating.

Over the last four years he has suffered a heart-attack, undergone gastric bypass surgery, contracted hepatitis and been admitted to a pyschiatric clinic. - AFP

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