Maradona's earrings raise $36,250 for Italian taxman
Friday, 15 January 2010
BOLZANO, Italy, Jan 14 (AFP): A pair of diamond earrings seized from football star Diego Maradona raised 36,250 dollars (25,000 euros) at auction Thursday when they were sold by the Italian tax authorities.
Italy's financial police took the gold earrings when Maradona visited a weight-loss clinic in September 2009 as part of their efforts to recover huge tax debts from the Argentine.
The winning bid more than tripled the pre-sale estimate of 8,000 euros, but will still not make a significant dent in the 36 million euros Maradona owes the Italian taxman.
Around 30 people took part in the auction in the northeastern town of Bolzano, the winning bid coming from a woman who did not want to give her name or say why she was bidding.
Maradona's debts stem from his days playing in Italy for Napoli, based in the southern town of Naples, from 1986-1991.
The 1986 World Cup winner had a key role in the side's success but failed to pay tax on his earnings and in 2005 a court ruled he owed 36 million euros.
An Italian taxpayer's association, www.contribuenti.it, estimates that Maradona's debt has accrued a further 22.4 million euros in interest.
A year after the court ruling, in 2006, the tax authorities managed to scrape 11,000 euros off the bill when they seized two expensive watches the Argentine was wearing while visiting Naples for a charity match.
Maradona is now coach of Argentina's national team, which he led through a tense qualification for the World Cup finals in South Africa this summer.
Italy's financial police took the gold earrings when Maradona visited a weight-loss clinic in September 2009 as part of their efforts to recover huge tax debts from the Argentine.
The winning bid more than tripled the pre-sale estimate of 8,000 euros, but will still not make a significant dent in the 36 million euros Maradona owes the Italian taxman.
Around 30 people took part in the auction in the northeastern town of Bolzano, the winning bid coming from a woman who did not want to give her name or say why she was bidding.
Maradona's debts stem from his days playing in Italy for Napoli, based in the southern town of Naples, from 1986-1991.
The 1986 World Cup winner had a key role in the side's success but failed to pay tax on his earnings and in 2005 a court ruled he owed 36 million euros.
An Italian taxpayer's association, www.contribuenti.it, estimates that Maradona's debt has accrued a further 22.4 million euros in interest.
A year after the court ruling, in 2006, the tax authorities managed to scrape 11,000 euros off the bill when they seized two expensive watches the Argentine was wearing while visiting Naples for a charity match.
Maradona is now coach of Argentina's national team, which he led through a tense qualification for the World Cup finals in South Africa this summer.