Court clears Maradona of tax evasion years after his death

Italy's top court has cleared Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona of tax evasion charges, ending a 30-year legal battle between the former Napoli striker and tax authorities.

Maradona was accused of using agent companies in Liechtenstein to avoid legal fees when he received payments between 1985 and 1990 from the Italian club for his personal image rights.

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“It is over and I can clearly state, without fear of contradiction, that Maradona was never a tax evader,” his lawyer, Angelo Pisani, told Reuters.

Rome's Court of Cassation overturned a 2018 verdict in December, according to a court document published on Wednesday and seen by Reuters.

Maradona died in November 2020 of a heart attack. Fans of Naples and the Argentine national team revered him as the “god of football.

Investigations into the footballer's tax payments began in the early 1990s and resulted in charges worth 37 million euros ($40.38 million) and the confiscation of some of the player's belongings during his visits to Italy.

Pisani added that the final verdict “does justice to the fans, to the values ​​of sport, but above all to the memory of Maradona.”

“It lays a tombstone on a persecution he suffered for 30 years,” he said.

“The heirs now have the legal right to seek damages,” Pisani said. “I hope they use it, in memory of their father.”