Police detain former Real president – reports

November 12, 2009

Spanish police on Wednesday detained for questioning former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, who is suspected of taking artwork from Spain to Italy without the proper authorisation, Spanish media reported.

Plainclothed detectives detained the 66-year-old real estate magnate at around noon in central Madrid and took him to a police station where he was questioned for several hours in the company of his lawyer, news radio Cadena Ser reported.

He was released without any bail conditions.

Sanz told the Europa Press news agency that “third parties” who he did not name wanted to auction off the paintings at an auction house in Venice and he was called in for questioning because they were taken abroad “without permission”.

“I have nothing to do with this matter. They were the ones who took care of all procedures for the auction,” he said.

Sanz was the president of Real between 1995 and 2000. He used his own money to bring in star players to the club such as Croatian striker Davor Suker and Montenegrin midfielder Predrag Mijatovic.

The club won two Champions League titles, in 1998 and 2000, during his time in office.

His detention comes with big-spending Real being ridiculed by the press for being eliminated from the Spanish Cup by third division side Alcorcon.

Real crashed out of the competition on Tuesday night when they could only manage a 1-0 home victory over Alcorcon, a team from the Madrid suburbs, who went through to the last 16 with a 4-1 aggregate score.

MADRID (AFP)