WORLD CUP USA ‘94: SEMIFINALS : Spotlight : TO BANGLADESH

FOR $25?

A court in Bangladesh has summoned the head of the international soccer federation to reply to a suit filed by a fan of Argentina’s Diego Maradona who claims to have suffered a breakdown since his idol was expelled from World Cup play.

“The expulsion of Maradona was illegal,” plaintiff Khan Mohammad Anwarul Wadud, a lawyer, contended in his complaint. “This has caused my mental breakdown.”

A lower court on Sunday called on FIFA President Joao Havelange to reply in person to Wadud’s suit, and a judge, Mahbubul Islam, instructed him to appear Aug 10.

Few countries’ fans rival the ardor of Bangladesh’s, and Wadud claimed that Maradona’s expulsion after failing a drug test was preying on his mind constantly.

“I’m suffering financial loss because I can’t concentrate on my work,” he said.

The lawyer seeks token damages of 1,000 taka, or about $25, from the FIFA president. He told local journalists Monday that he was still trying to figure out how to serve Havelange with the summons.