Daily Times

BUENOS AIRES: A court in Argentina on Friday revoked a ban on the late Diego Maradona’s former lawyer from using the player’s brand and imaging rights. In March, a company owned by Matias Morla, called Sattvica, was barred from using Maradona brands such as Diego Maradona, Maradona, D10S, El Diez, La mano de Dios (the hand of God) and El Diego. The ban came after two of the Argentine football great’s daughters filed a complaint against Morla for fraudulent administration and fraud. Dalma and Gianinna Maradona are embroiled in an inheritance dispute with Morla over their father’s brand and image rights. But in a 13-page decision seen by AFP, the National Chamber of Criminal and Correctional Appeals ruled in favor of Morla. The Maradona brands are registered officially as owned by Sattvica S.A., a company owned by Morla and a brother-in-law. The company was set up in 2015, six months after Maradona signed over his brand and image rights to Morla. The lawyer and Maradona’s two daughters have been trading insults and accusations.

Dalma and Giannina accused Morla of “betrayal, dishonesty and abuse” in his management of Maradona’s brand and image rights after the star’s death. Morla has fired back that the pair “abandoned” Maradona before he died “alone.” He’s also filed a complaint against them for “digital bullying.” Maradona died of a heart attack on November 25 aged 60 while recovering from an operation to remove a blood clot from his head. In a separate investigation, authorities are looking into the health treatment he received to determine whether there was any neglect or malpractice, following a complaint by Maradona’s family. In a curious twist, Morla was representing Maradona’s five sisters in that case but was dismissed by the courts on suspicion that he was simultaneously advising two of the accused, the neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque and the psychologist Carlos Diaz.