Diego Maradona’s heirs have won an appeal to halt the auction of the trophy the late player won after the 1986 World Cup, after a French court on Wednesday ordered it to go into judicial possession.
Last month, an appeals court in Versailles overturned a judicial decision that had allowed the trophy auction to go ahead as scheduled, despite objections from Maradona’s heirs.
The tribunal argued that there was a serious dispute over the ownership of the World Cup Golden Ball, which Maradona received as the tournament’s best player in 1986. To avoid the risk of the trophy resurfacing after being missing for decades and becoming further lost, the tribunal ordered the trophy to be seized pending a substantive decision in the case.
Gilles Morieux, a lawyer for the heirs, told The Associated Press that they plan to file a lawsuit asking the court to examine the case and determine who owns the trophy.
“We are pleased that this decision is in line with our requirements and provides reassurance to our customers,” he said.
French judicial authorities launched an investigation last month after receiving complaints about the resale of allegedly stolen goods.
The Golden Ball disappeared under unknown circumstances – Maradona’s heirs claim it was stolen and that the current owner has no right to sell it – but auction house Agust said it resurfaced at a Paris auction in 2016, along with other items acquired from a private collection.
The current owner and Mr. Agutes claim they had no idea the trophy was stolen when they purchased it years ago.
Maradona received the award at a ceremony in Paris in 1986. The award then went missing, sparking rumors, including that it was stored in a Naples bank vault that was robbed by local gangs in 1989, while Maradona was playing in the Italian league. Maradona’s heirs believe the award was stolen from the bank.
Maradona, People who died in 2020 At the age of 60, he captained Argentina to a 3-2 victory over West Germany in the 1986 final in Mexico City.
Agyutto decided last week to postpone the sale, which had been scheduled for Thursday, citing a “litigious environment” and “uncertainty that has prevented appraisers from remaining calm about the purchase.”
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer