PARIS: A French court ruled the auction of a trophy awarded to the late Diego Maradona after the 1986 World Cup can go ahead as planned despite opposition from his heirs, their lawyer told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Maradona’s heirs tried to stop the auction of the Golden Ball trophy he received for being the best player of the 1986 World Cup by starting an urgent judicial procedure. Lawyer Gilles Moreu told The AP the court’s ruling “was not favorable to the heirs of Diego Maradona” and said he would lodge an appeal.
The trophy is set to be auctioned next Thursday in Paris by the Aguttes auction house, which did not immediately comment on the ruling.
The Golden Ball was missing for decades after it disappeared in uncertain circumstances and only recently resurfaced. Maradona’s heirs say the trophy was stolen and claimed the current owner wasn’t entitled to sell it. Aguttes said the trophy reappeared in 2016 among other lots that were acquired from a private collection at auction in Paris.
Moreu said the president of the Nanterre court outside Paris considered the current owner of the trophy, identified as Mr. Benchaieb, “should be considered as acting in good faith.”
Benchaieb and Aguttes claimed that when he bought the trophy years ago he was not aware it had been stolen.
“The Ballon d’Or is a unique piece of property, which Diego Maradona’s children want back,” Moreu said. “My clients are extremely saddened by the court’s decision.”
Maradona received the award in 1986 at a ceremony at the Lido cabaret on the Champs-Élysées. It subsequently disappeared, giving rise to rumors. Some say it was lost during a poker game or sold to pay off debts. Others say Maradona stored it in a safe in a Naples bank that was robbed by local gangsters in 1989 when he played in the Italian league. Maradona’s heirs believe it was stolen from the bank.
French judicial officials last week opened an investigation after they received a complaint relating to the resale of allegedly stolen goods. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office did not say whether the court’s decision would have an impact on the probe, and if it was still ongoing.
Maradona, who died in 2020 at age 60, captained Argentina in its 3-2 win over West Germany in the 1986 final in Mexico City. In a quarterfinal win over England he scored the “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century.”
Aguttes said it expects the trophy “to fetch millions due to its uniqueness.”
Bidders will be asked to make a deposit of 150,000 euros ($161,000) to participate in the auction.
The Hand of God goal came when Maradona punched the ball into England’s net. Four minutes later, he weaved through England’s midfield and defense and past goalkeeper Peter Shilton for what FIFA later declared the greatest goal in World Cup history.
Maradona’s heirs lose court battle to block auction of World Cup Golden Ball trophy
https://arab.news/98udc
Maradona’s heirs lose court battle to block auction of World Cup Golden Ball trophy
- Maradona’s heirs tried to stop the auction of the Golden Ball trophy he received for being the best player of the 1986 World Cup
- Lawyer Gilles Moreu told The AP the court’s ruling “was not favorable to the heirs of Diego Maradona” and said he would lodge an appeal
Fans throw objects onto field after Messi visits Kolkata’s Salt Lake stadium
- Messi is in India as part of a tour during which he is scheduled to attend concerts, youth football clinics, a Padel tournament and launch charitable initiatives
- The 2022 World Cup winner walked around the pitch at the stadium waving to the fans,
NEW DELHI: Lionel Messi’s highly anticipated visit to India turned into chaos for fans of the football icon in Kolkata on Saturday, after his brief appearance at a local stadium sparked anger among thousands in attendance.
The Argentine football star, who is on a three-day visit to India billed as “GOAT (greatest of all time) Tour,” arrived in the eastern state of West Bengal early on Saturday. His main public event in Kolkata took place about noon at the Salt Lake Stadium, where thousands of spectators had reportedly paid up to 12,000 rupees, or $133, to see him.
Messi was seen walking around the pitch and waving to the crowd, but obscured by a large group of people, before leaving only about 20 minutes after arrival.
Widely circulating clips online showed frustrated fans, some clad in the Argentinian team’s sky blue and white jersey, breaking down barricades and storming the pitch after he left, while others ripped up stadium seats and threw items onto the track.
“People are very disappointed that this ended this way. I spent 4,500 rupees, but there are people who spent more,” Ayan Das, a Messi fan who attended the stadium event, told Arab News.
“It was a disappointment that Messi, who was supposed to be in the stadium for at least one hour, left in 15 minutes.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she was “deeply disturbed and shocked” by how the Kolkata event unfolded.
“I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident,” she wrote on X.
Local authorities have since launched an investigation into the incident and arrested the event organizer, who has been identified as Satadru Dutta.
Messi was returning to Kolkata — which has a large football fanbase in an otherwise cricket-crazed country — after first visiting in 2011 for an international friendly match with Venezuela.
This time around, the city had built a 21-meter statue of the 2022 World Cup winner, which he inaugurated virtually as part of the visit.
After weeks of build-up and excitement, the disappointment was palpable for the entire city, which has been looking forward to seeing Messi in real life, said Ranadeep Mukherjee, who owns coaching center German Football Academy in Kolkata.
“For so many people, this was their lifelong dream, right? I know people who have paid off their whole month’s salary to buy one ticket for this event. I mean, that has been the level of commitment. People have taken loans. People have, like, gone beyond their means to buy a ticket to see their god for one minute,” he told Arab News.
“As a Kolkata native, it is very sad for me, and like, in a way, it is sort of a shame for the city that we could not show him how much of a football-loving city we are and how good of a fan base we are.”
But other Indian football fans were still brimming with excitement, as Messi’s tour of India also included stops in Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, where he is scheduled to attend concerts, youth football clinics, a padel tournament and launch charitable initiatives.
“It will really inspire a lot of people, a lot of young kids and coaches and everywhere,” said Peter Alex Todd, a footballer from the northeastern state of Assam.
“I believe we, all football lovers and the young generation, will be very much inspired to watch him.”
For Aarav Dadhwal, a 17-year-old student in Delhi, Messi’s visit was a “dream come true.”
“This is like once in a lifetime that a player like him comes and visits India. So many people who might never get a chance to see him playing can get a glimpse of him,” he told Arab News.
“Many people will definitely be inspired by him. And I also think that inspiration is necessary, and he also, like should take some initiative, like start some academies in India, because India’s progress in football is much-needed.”
