Sporting briefs

Maradona: A tax evasion process being brought against Diego Maradona is to start over from scratch due to a technicality. The Italian tax man is claiming €38 million from the superstar in unpaid taxes and related interest and fines. But Maradona’s lawyer Angelo Pisani successfully argued that the 51-year-old did not receive the correct tax return form in 1988, when he was playing for Napoli, and so was unable to contest the amount he was asked for.

Cassano: Milan striker Antonio Cassano will undergo an operation to repair a heart defect today. Cassano was diagnosed with a hole in his heart after suffering an ischaemic stroke when he was taken ill last weekend. He is set to be operated on by Dr Mario Carminati, a specialist in cardiological congenital defects.

O’Shea: Defender John O’Shea is a major doubt for Ireland’s Euro 2012 play-off against Estonia. Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has already ruled O’Shea out of tomorrow’s Premier League trip to former club Manchester United, and admits his chances of making the first leg of Ireland’s showdown with the Estonians in Tallinn next Friday night are remote.

Kallstrom: Swedish international midfielder Kim Kallstrom has extended his Lyon contract by two years until 2014. The 29-year-old, who has 87 international caps, joined Lyon from Rennes in July 2006 for a fee of eight million euros ($11m). The left-footed holding player has made 117 appearances for Lyon in the French top division.

Belgium: Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen and Twente midfielder Nacer Chadli were included in the 25-man Belgium squad named by coach Georges Leekens yesterday for friendlies against Romania on November 11 and France four days later. Vermaelen, 25, has recently recovered from an Achilles tendon injury.