Dutch manager clobbered by Italian taxman - will be looking for proper job soon

Marco van Basten may this morning be regretting having been such a phenomenal player in the late eighties and early nineties. As goalscorer-in-chief for arguably the best ever Milan side, Marco saw his bank accounts fill like Olympic swimming pools. Then he did his leg in, stopped playing and took all his lovely money back to Holland.

When the Italian bureaucrat responsible for monitoring Mr van Basten’s tax contribution got round to examining his file, he found the numbers didn’t quite tally, so called him up and said, “Mr van Basten, you owe us four million euros.”

Mr van Basten said, “I am in Holland now,” so the persistent Italian called the Dutch tax authorities, and together they