October 2 – The former president of Valencia Juan Soler (pictured) has been jailed for two years for conspiring to kidnap his one-time vice-president and break into his home.
Soler, who ran Valencia between 2004 and 2008, had been found guilty of plotting to kidnap Vicente Soriano, who was his number two and later briefly took over as president. Two accomplices have also been jailed.
According to the court ruling published by Spanish media, Soler and his accomplices plotted to kidnap Soriano when he left for breakfast at a cafe in the centre of Valencia where he went every day, shove him into a van and transfer him to a safe place where they would keep him while they robbed his house.
Soriano was Soler’s vice-president at Valencia for four years and later served as president for 11 months, resigning in July 2009.
The pair had a bitter legal dispute after Soriano promised to buy Soler’s shares in the club for €85 million with the intention of selling them to investment group Dalport who later pulled out of the deal.
The case was taken to Spain’s supreme court and in February 2013 Soriano was ordered to pay Soler €20 million, with Dalport ordered to pay €39 million.
Soler, a construction entrepreneur, took charge of Valencia in October 2004, five months after they won the La Liga title and the UEFA Cup. He resigned for health reasons in 2008.
Valencia host Ajax in their second group game in the Champions League tonight. The two teams are level on points at the top of the group after having both won their first matches.
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