The highest court in Italy has ruled in favor of the late Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, clearing him of tax evasion charges after a 30-year legal battle with revenue authorities. The former Napoli striker, also known as “El Pibe de Oro” or the Golden Foot, was accused of using proxy companies in Liechtenstein to avoid paying taxes on payments he received from the Napoli club for his personal image rights between 1985 and 1990.
Maradona’s lawyer, Angelo Pisani, told Reuters, “It is over and I can clearly state without fear of being contradicted that Maradona has never been a tax evader.”
The Rome’s Court of Cassation overturned a 2018 verdict in mid-December, as shown in a court document published on Wednesday and seen by Reuters. Maradona passed away in November 2020 from a heart attack, and was regarded as the “god of football” by fans of Napoli and the Argentine national team.
Investigations into the footballer’s tax payments began in the early 1990s and led to charges of 37 million euros ($40.38 million) and the confiscation of some of his belongings during visits to Italy.
Pisani also added that the final verdict “does justice to fans, to the values of sport, but mostly to the memory of Maradona”. He stated, “It places a grave stone on a persecution that he suffered for 30 years.”
“…The heirs now have a legal right to claim damages,” Pisani said. “I hope that they use it, in memory of their father.”
Reported by Alessandro Parodi, with additional reporting by Marco Carta; edited by Giulia Segreti and Nick Macfie
