Never a dull moment – it emerges today that ex-President of Valencia football club Juan Soler has been arrested for hiring Eastern European mercenaries to kidnap another ex-President of the same football club, Vicente Soriano.
Soriano bought a huge whack of Valencia FC shares off Soler in 2009 for 85 million euros. But when Soler went to cash the cheque, it bounced sky high.
The matter has since been in the courts, but Soler obviously became tired of Spanish justice and took matters into his own hands.
Two weeks ago, a group of Eastern European mercenaries touched down in Valencia, arousing the interest of the nacionales, who wondered what they were up to. Turned out, according to the Prosecutor General, they were hired to kidnap Soriano in exchange for €100 K, and no doubt, “encourage” him to settle the debt. An Italian citizen who “arranged” the matter was also nicked.
Soler has been released on bail and a restraining order. This complicates matters, as Soler lives next door to Soriano, and so can’t return home without breaking the restraining order.
Meanwhile, due to several dodgy stock splits, the original 2009 holding has now been so diluted that it’s barely 5% of the club, and the original packet of shares are almost worthless.