It was a double joy for Al Wasl coach Diego Maradona on Tuesday night. His family, including his grandson Benjamin and son-in-law Sergio Aguero, were around him when his club beat Al Wahda on penalties in the quarter-final of the Gulf Champions League, reports The Gulf Today.
Sergio, who scored the City’s match winner against QPR to earn Sheikh Mansour’s team the Premier league title after 44 years, later tweeted, ‘We brought some luck to Diego’s team at Dubai, it seems.’
Maradona’s Al Wasl avenged their Pro-League defeat by edging out Al Wahda on penalties to move into the semi-final of the Gulf Champions League.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw after both teams failed to break the deadlock in the normal time. Juan Manuel Oliveira put the home team into the lead in the 112th minute but Al Wahda hit back a minute later when Fernando Biano restored parity for the visitors from a free-kick.
In the penalty shoot-out Oliveira, Donda, Yaser Salem, Essa Ali and Iranian Mohd Khalatbari found the net for Al Wasl while Biano, Saeed Al Khatiri and Omar Ali were successful for the losers. Al Wasl won 5-3.
After the match, watched by Sergio, Maradona admitted he was looking forward to some family time with his grandson Benjamin, daughter Giannina and Sergio.
It might be recalled that Maradona missed Aguero’s winning goal for City against QPR as he was in training.
‘I have not spent much time with them yet, but it going to be great to have them here and I am looking forward to seeing them later,’ said Maradona.
‘I spent some time with Benjamin after the match and we played a few passes and he scored two goals. Whenever City win I’m happy and when Al Wasl wins my entire family are happy for me,’ Maradona added, happiness written all over his face.
Meanwhile, debt-ridden Diego Maradona is suing the Italian government for £40million, despite owing it £32million in unpaid taxes, reports Metro.
Maradona, who coaches in the United Arab Emirates, has been chased by the tax man ever since he played for Napoli in the 1980s.
The superstar offered to settle with a £2.8million payment and his lawyers wanted to hold a ‘clear the air’ meeting with Italy’s tax collection agency Equitalia in Naples on Tuesday.
However Equitalia said it was ‘not open to negotiate’ and wants repayment in full.
An Equitalia spokesman added: ‘We are not in the habit of offering deals and we have turned the offer from Maradona down. The case will continue through the legal system.’
In response, Maradona’s representatives issued legal proceedings against it for ‘mortification and harm suffered to his image, dignity and quality of life’.
Last week the former Boca Juniros star criticised the agency after it was blamed for a spate of suicides by people who were unable to meet its tax demands.
‘No-one more than me knows what this is like – I too have been persecuted for 25 years,’ he said.
‘I express my solidarity and closeness to those people who are victims of Equitalia. Instead of persecuting people these institutions should be protecting honest citizens.
‘For 25 years I was alone, abandoned and persecuted. I was considered guilty without even being tried by judges. I have been treated like a criminal and my human dignity and sporting image has been violated.
‘I had the strength to resist but I can understand those that cannot cope, I know what it feels like inside. I want to win this battle, above all for the victims of Equitalia.’
In 2006 Italian authorities confiscated two Rolex watches and a set of diamond earrings from the manager when he landed in the country to put towards the unpaid tax bill.
-With New Age input
