Spain's soccer league has been awarded a cemetery in the jet-set southern city of Marbella in lieu of unpaid debts in a lawsuit involving late Marbella mayor and soccer club owner Jesus Gil, a city official said Tuesday.
Town hall spokesman Felix Romero said a Madrid court last
week ordered Marbella to hand over the rights to one of its cemeteries to cover a debt of ¤550,000 (US$855,000) pending from the year 2000 when Gil was mayor.
The debt stemmed from an accord in which Gil agreed to pay the league ¤2 million (US$3 million) to have Marbella's city name on jerseys worn by first-division soccer side Atletico de Madrid, which he then owned. To manage the deal, Gil set up a company whose only asset was the cemetery, Romero said.
While mayor of Marbella in 1991-2002, Gil was embroiled in dozens of suits for alleged fraud and corruption. He was removed from the post in 2002 following allegations of corruption concerning the so-called «jersey case.
Romero described the ruling as «a barbarity» and said the town hall would appeal.
«The cemetery was built in 1989 and there are hundreds of people buried there,» he told The Associated Press.
The Spanish Soccer League refused to comment on the case.
Gil died in 2004 and was buried in Madrid.
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