Great soccer player sassy in Brazil - police called in - -

[imrthr]

Maradona Is Briefly Detained at Airport

 

Thursday, December 22, 2005

 

(12-22) 18:21 PST RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) --

 

Soccer great Diego Maradona was detained briefly by airport police after he argued with them Thursday following his late arrival for a flight.

 

Maradona, held for showing contempt to authorities, was trying to return to his native Argentina after playing in a charity match Wednesday. He was released after being interrogated and was allowed to leave later in the day.

 

Showing contempt to authorities is punishable in Brazil by as much as two years in prison. Maradona was not immediately charged, federal police spokesman Carlos de Melo said.

 

Maradona argued with airport workers and then with authorities in a VIP room, upset that the flight wasn't held for him. A door at the VIP room was broken in the incident, and Maradona offered to pay for the damage, authorities said.

 

Police said in a statement that Maradona "was extremely agitated ... and said obscenities to a federal police officer."

 

Maradona refused to be tested to see if he was under the influence of alcohol, authorities said.

 

At a news conference in Buenos Aires, Maradona charged that a police officer pointed a gun at his neck during the incident.

 

"All of sudden, five police show up. I didn't understand it all and one of them comes and tells me we were causing damages. I didn't damage anything. Then he pointed the pistol" at me, Maradona said.

 

Maradona led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and to the 1990 final.

 

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Moral of the story? Don't show disrespect to or try to cause trouble for the Brazilian police.