Diego Maradona has announced he's taking legal action against Konami for allegedly using his likeness without permission in 'Pro Evolution Soccer'.
Diego Maradona
The Argentinian football legend - who won the FIFA World Cup with his country in 1986 and is considered one of the greatest players of all time - is upset that a player in the Legends section of of 'PES 2017' is him in his younger years, however, he nor his representatives were ever contacted to sign off his inclusion.
Barcelona and Napoli great Maradona - who ended his professional playing career in 1997 - took to his official Facebook page on Thursday (30.03.17) to post: "I heard yesterday that the Japanese company Konami uses my image for its game PES 2017. Unfortunately, my lawyer Matias Morla will initiate the corresponding legal actions. I hope this is not another scam..."
The character in question appears alongside the likes of Ronaldinho, Hristo Stoichkov and Gary Lineker.
The avatar features his iconic shaggy black hair and, unlike in previous versions of the popular game series, uses his correct surname rather than a similar alternative.
Maradona has previously won compensation from Konami for using his likeness under the pseudonym 'Malgini' without permission in past installments.
Unlike its great rival 'FIFA', 'PES' features predominantly unlicensed teams with alternative names such as 'Man Red' for Manchester United and 'Yorkshire Orange' for Hull City but does include some licensed teams.
To add to Konami's potential woes as EA Sports recently agreed terms with 56-year-old Maradona to use him in their games.
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