The Italian tax authorities on Friday denied claims that Diego Maradona had won his right to return to the country after being cleared of owing nearly 40 million euros in unpaid taxes. The former Napoli and Argentina footballer's lawyer had earlier said that the long-running case against his client had been dropped, lifting the ban on him travelling to the country.

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has won his right to return to Italy after being cleared of owing nearly 40 million euros in taxes, reports said on Friday. Maradona, the World Cup winner who helped Napoli to their only two league titles in Serie A in 1987 and 1990, had been banned from setting foot in Italy because of an alleged unpaid tax bill of 37.2 million euros ($50.5 million, 32 million pounds). The former player's lawyer, Angelo Pisani, on Friday said his client had been cleared, two years after the authorities relaunched the case, which dates back to 2005.