FORMER Rangers star Claudio Caniggia’s estranged wife has formally accused him of sexual abuse in a court in their native Argentina.
Mum-of-three Mariana Nannis has also asked judges to launch a criminal investigation against the retired footballer over claims she has already made on TV alleging she was assaulted and suffered a miscarriage.
Argentinian media have reported she lodged the complaint on Friday before leaving the south American country to fly to Italy and it will now be dealt with by Buenos Aires Criminal and Correctional Court Number 18.
She is expected to be asked to be return to Argentina at a later date to expand on her allegations against former international Caniggia, who has denied any wrongdoing.
Nannis made shock claims in an interview in August with Argentinian chat show host Susana Gimenez about the 52-year-old, who scored 12 league goals over two seasons for Rangers following a season at Dundee.
She claimed she was the victim of verbal and physical violence during their 30-year relationship and suffered a miscarriage when she she was pushed against a car.
She raged: “Today I would have a 12-year-old child. He killed my son for a wrap of cocaine. He didn’t care I was two and a half months pregnant.”
She also accused the retired footballer in a subsequent TV interview of coming home in the early hours of the morning and assaulting her because she didn’t want to have sex before sleeping with her.
And she has branded Caniggia’s new fiancee Sofia Bonelli, 26, who is set to become his wife when his divorce to the mum of his three children is finalised, as a “drug-addicted prostitute.”
Insisting last week when she revealed her plans to accuse her estranged husband in the courts, she added: “I cried for 30 years and I don’t intend crying anymore.
“Now what I have to do is make all my accusations in a court of law to try to recover my dignity, because it’s indignant and humiliating to have these things done to you.
“And afterwards I want to protect my children, because my children are my family.”
Caniggia, a key player in both the 1990 and 1994 World Cups who was capped 50 times for Argentina and is friends with Diego Maradona, has rubbished Mariana’s claims against him.
He said after she was interviewed by Susana Gimenez: “It pains me that the love we had ends up with this grotesque show that I don’t intend forming part of.
“My life has always been what it is now, absolutely transparent. I don’t have to hide any objectionable behaviour.”
Caniggia spent three seasons in the Scottish Premier League, between 2000 and 2003.
He became a fans’ favourite at Ibrox with key goals including one which helped them win a cup final against arch rivals Celtic.
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