Diego Maradona’s heirs will launch a lawsuit to try and stop the auction of a trophy he was awarded after the 1986 World Cup won by Argentina.
According to Associated Press, Gilles Moreu, a lawyer working with Paradox Lawyers firm, said he will throw an urgent request to the president of the Nanterre judicial court near Paris to have the Golden Ball withdrawn from the auction.
He said he would also request a judicial sequestration of the trophy and file a complaint for theft and concealed theft.
The Golden Ball trophy rewarding the best player of the tournament had been missing for decades after it disappeared in unclear circumstances and only recently resurfaced. It is set to be auctioned in Paris next month, the Aguttes auction house said last week.
Football legend Maradona, who died in 2020 at age 60, captained Argentina in its 3-2 win over West Germany in the 1986 final in Mexico City. Before that were the “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century” in a 2-1 win over England in the quarterfinals.
Maradona’s heirs say the trophy was stolen and claim the current owner cannot be entitled to sell it.
Aguttes said the trophy reappeared in 2016 among other lots that were acquired from a private collection at auction in Paris.
Maradona received the award in 1986 at a ceremony at the Lido Cabaret on the Champs-Élysées. It subsequently disappeared, giving rise to rumours.
Some say it was lost during a poker game or sold to pay off debts, Aguttes said. Others say Maradona stored it in a safe in a Naples bank that was robbed by local gangsters in 1989 when he played in the Italian league. Maradona’s heirs believe it was stolen from the bank.
Moreu, who represents two daughters of Maradona, say the heirs found out only recently that the trophy had been stolen. According to the lawyer, Maradona’s family wants the sale to be banned because it believes the Golden Ball belongs to them.
Moreu said he was contacted by an Argentine colleague after the two daughters discussed the matter with the other heirs, who gave their approval to the legal action.
The auction house’s argument is the person who bought the trophy years ago was not aware it had been stolen.
Bidders will be asked to deposit 150,000 euros ($161,000) to participate in the June 6 auction.(SaharaReporters)
