Former La Liga side Valencia President Juan Batista Soler has been "arrested for plotting to kidnap" his successor, Vicente Soriano, according to Kyle Bonn of PRO SOCCER TALK. Soler resigned as club president in '08 for "health reasons" and was arrested in Valencia on Wednesday after a "two-week investigation involving the possibility that Soler hired an Eastern European specialist" for €50,000-€100,000 ($69,000-$138,000) to "abduct Soriano." After leaving the club, Soler sold "his share of the club to Soriano" for €85.5M, which gave Soriano a majority stake. Soriano only "intended on purchasing the club as a middle man in order to sell to Uruguayan company Investment Dalport." That deal, however, fell through when it was discovered that "the money Investment Dalport intended to purchase the club with never actually existed and the notes were false." Soriano was then "stuck with the club, and naturally had trouble making payments to Soler." A court ordered Soriano to "make his payments plus interest for being late." Formerly a majority share, "Soriano's cut today only represents a 5% ownership, and his shares have been seized." The prosecution has "not yet decided to ask for jail time and Soler has been released for the time being, but he is not allowed to leave the country and is barred from entering within 15 meters of Soriano." He will "appear in court on a 'regular basis' as the investigation continues and a trial commences" (PRO SOCCER TALK, 4/9). In Madrid, Conrado Valle reported Soriano's debt to Soler "was the origin of the attempted kidnapping." Police had "previously warned Soriano not to leave his house after recording a phone conversation between Soler and a hitman about a possible kidnapping of Soriano." Soler's professional office is "located only 20 meters from Soriano's residence." A second person "whose identity was not revealed has also been charged, but both he and Soler took advantage of their rights to decline to testify" (AS, 4/9).
