Football legend Diego Maradona has been notified by Italian tax officials that they are taking steps to freeze his assets in Italy in order to collect on his massive tax debts. Maradona, dubbed “El Pibe de Oro” or “the Golden Boy” by his legions of fans, is said to owe nearly $53 million. The debts stem from Maradona’s years playing for Napoli from 1984-91; Maradona played for a number of teams but is most famous for his time in Napoli, where he helped the club win two Serie A titles.
Maradona, like his “successor,” Lionel Messi, hails from Argentina. He has been called the best football player (soccer to my U.S. readers) of all time, a title Messi now wears these days. Messi has faced his own allegations of tax evasion of late, however, unlike Maradona, Messi has apparently settled up.
As a player, Maradona headlined four Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup tournaments, including the famous 1986 tournament, where he won the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player despite this controversial moment:
That goal, one of two that Maradona would score in a pivotal game against England, was dubbed the “Hand of God” because what a referee thought was a clean header was actually a punched ball – illegal in football. Maradona said afterward that the goal was scored “a little with the head of Maradona, a little with the hand of God.”
Maradona didn’t shy away from controversy afterward. He made headlines for failing drug tests, once resulting in an early trip home from the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., and cocaine addiction. His photo has been splashed across the covers of many newspapers highlighting his excessive lifestyle and weight gain.
Both hated and adored, Maradona has continued to be involved in soccer over the years and despite the controversies, an internet vote for FIFA Player of the Century award tied him with football great Pelé.
Maradona’s financial problems haven’t gone away either. Maradona made millions of dollars while playing around the world, including for Napoli. He amassed a tax bill in the tens of millions of dollars, refusing to pay initially because he claimed that those taxes were the team’s responsibility.
Italian officials have since attempted to collect from Maradona in a most unconventional way. A court order allowed police to take anything “within plain sight” that belonged to Maradona. In 2006, Italian police confiscated two Rolex watches worth about $15,000 when Maradona showed up to play in a benefit match. In 2009, while at a weight loss clinic in Merano, Maradona was met by Italian police who confiscated the earrings he was wearing; the three diamond earrings were estimated to be worth just under $6,000.
Apparently the “earring here, watch there” piecemeal efforts to collect have grown wearisome. Maradona was again served with papers, this time earlier today while in his Milan hotel room. Maradona reportedly accepted service without incident. Italian tax officials claim this isn’t any new pressure on the star: it’s merely a formal procedure while Maradona is in the country.
Maradona is currently in Italy to promote a Gazzetta dello Sport DVD collection focusing on his life and career. He also took the time to watch a match between Napoli and Roma. For his part, Maradona has indicated he’d like to spend more time in Italy. While watching his former team play, he said about coach Rafael Benitez: “When Benitez leaves I would like to take over at Napoli.” For now, Maradona might be losing his assets but he hasn’t lost his ego, blaming his unemployment status on “people who are afraid of me. That’s why I’m not coaching.”
