October 10 – Valencia CF, one of the grand old names of Spain’s, La Liga and a club that has seen more than its fair share of ups and downs over the last three decades, has some of the most passionate support in Spain, however a couple of supporters have taken that to a new level in a protest against the club’s Singaporean owner Peter Lim.
While on their honeymoon in Singapore, Dani Cuesta and his partner, Mireia Sáez, were stopped while trying to leave Singapore airport on Friday and had their passports confiscated. Arriving in Asia last week, Cuesta had posted on X that he would “take some photos with my lovely flag”, which reads “Lim Go Home”.
Lim is deeply unpopular with the Valencia fan base after a ten-year spell that has seen the club go nowhere. Los Che, currently sit in 18thplace and the relegation zone, two points from safety after nine matches.
In a video posting Cuesta is seen placing a yellow sticker reading ‘Lim out’ – a common sight in the city of Valencia – on the gate of Lim’s residence. However, this is where the Valencia fan has come unstuck. Singapore has some of the world’s strictest laws on vandalism and public assembly, which includes assemblies even of one person.
The video went viral among Valencia fans and Cuesta then gave interview to a Valencia football podcast on Thursday.
He said that as soon as his wife suggested going to Singapore, he had a “lightbulb moment” deciding to bring a banner and some stickers, which he placed on lamp posts around the city. “I told her ‘this is something I have to do’… perhaps it will be for nothing but it sends the message that we don’t want these people in Valencia,” Cuesta told Tribuna Deportiva.
“I’ve not been detained yet,” he joked. “My wife’s been reading up about the laws in Singapore – she’s looking forward to getting through immigration tomorrow.”
The following day, as they attempted to board a flight to Bali, Singapore authorities stopped the couple according to Valencia’s mayor, Maria Catala. “[The Spanish embassy in Singapore] confirmed that two people had their passports taken away, due to an ongoing police investigation,” Catalá told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
“They have not been told what type of crime they are being investigated for. They can leave their hotel but not the country,” she added.
The situation has yet to be resolved.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1728548076labto1728548076ofdlr1728548076owedi1728548076sni@o1728548076fni1728548076