Rome, Jan 23 (IANS): Argentine football legend Diego Maradona is facing a defamation case sought by Rome prosecutors for slandering Italy’s tax collection agency.

Prosecutors alleged during a preliminary hearing that Maradona claimed to be a victim of persecution by Italy's state-owned tax collection agency Equitalia, producing false documentation and irregular procedures, reports oglobo.net.

Equitalia accused Maradona of a debt of 40 million euros in 2012 for not paying his income tax in the 1980s when he played for Italian football club Napoli.

The decision would be taken by judge Chiara Giammarco in a court here. He would disclose his decision March 18.

Maradona, however, has said several times in public appearances and interviews that he has been a "victim of persecution by the Equitalia", claiming he was never informed of the request for payment of such taxes and insisting it was a mistake of the agency.

In an attempt to recover some of the debt, Equitalia tried confiscating his Italian earnings in 2010 and seized a Rolex watch valued at 11,000 euros from the 54-year-old in 2006.