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Valentino Rossi faces two headaches this weekend
Published in The Telegraph - 18/08/07 Valentino Rossi is in a pickle. Not only is his MotoGP championship falling apart, but he has been accused of tax evasion by the Italian government, to the tune of €60 million. In total, it is demanding a payment of €112 million to cover undeclared sponsorship revenue, fines and interest from 2000-2004. These dates coincide with Rossi's decision to reside in London to take advantage of the tax benefits. Rossi has 60 days to appeal against the accusations and this week denied the claim on an Italian TV show, where he said: "My conscience is clear." The Italian government has cracked down on high-profile stars as tax evasion has become a huge problem, totalling 27 per cent of GDP. Maradona, Pavarotti and Loris Capirossi have all felt the heat. If Valentino's "people" have respected the rules then this matter needs to be swept away quickly so Rossi can concentrate on his career problems. He lies 44 points behind Ducati's Casey Stoner, with seven races remaining. |