Valencia fans detained after interrupting honeymoon in Singapore to stage protest against club’s owner

A Spanish mates person been detained successful Singapore aft they interrupted their honeymoon to protestation against the billionaire proprietor of Valencia shot club.

Peter Lim is an unpopular fig among galore fans of the nine helium bought successful 2014, and newlywed mates Dani Cuesta and Mireia Saez went 1 measurement further to explicit their unhappiness with the tycoon – travelling halfway crossed the satellite to protestation with banners extracurricular his location successful Singapore.

They went to the billionaire’s location connected Thursday and Mr Cuesta unfurled a yellowish banner speechmaking “Lim Go Home”. The representation rapidly went viral.

Mr Cuesta and his woman were held astatine the airdrome arsenic they were flying retired of Singapore and had their passports confiscated connected Friday, Valencia politician María José Catalá said, according to Spanish vigor presumption Onda Cero.

They haven’t yet been charged with a transgression but are acceptable to look successful tribunal arsenic a constabulary probe takes place, she said.

The politician said she is successful interaction with Spain’s overseas ministry arsenic good arsenic its embassy successful Singapore to resoluteness the situation.

In a statement, Valencia CF said they are alert of the concern and are successful interaction with the Spanish embassy, which has “assured that some are being advised and assisted successful everything that whitethorn beryllium indispensable successful bid for these events to beryllium resolved arsenic soon arsenic possible”.

Mr Lim, Singapore’s richest man, has faced choler from Valencia fans during his decade-long ownership of the nine arsenic they blasted him for its terrible fiscal crisis. They impeach him of moving the nine solely arsenic a concern since taking it implicit successful 2014.

In 2021, thousands of Valencia fans protested to request his resignation, displaying “Lim Go Home” banners extracurricular the team’s Mestalla Stadium. The fans were aggravated aft comments attributed to Mr Lim appeared to belittle supporters and downplay their value to the club.

After arriving successful Singapore, Mr Cuesta posted connected X that helium would “take immoderate photos with my beauteous flag” which work “Lim Go Home” and asked radical to suggest places.

He aboriginal posted a fig of photos showing himself astatine assorted landmarks crossed the state with the banner.

The pictures went viral and helium besides made an quality connected a vigor amusement called Tribuna Deportiva dedicated to Valencia fans, wherever helium discussed the incident.

“The thought of doing the honeymoon successful Singapore was my wife’s but erstwhile we arrived I had this lightbulb moment,” Mr Cuesta said connected the show.

“We spent each greeting going astir Singapore, spending wealth connected taxis, but I told her, ‘This is thing I person to do.’ Every enactment is similar a atom of sand.”

The mates were to question to Bali for the adjacent limb of their honeymoon but were detained earlier they could committee the flight.

“This morning, I spoke with the embassy successful Singapore,” Ms Catala told Onda Cero. “They confirmed that 2 radical had their passports taken away, owed to an ongoing constabulary investigation. They person not been told what transgression they are being investigated for. They tin permission their edifice but not the country.”

It’s not known what charges the mates could look but Singapore has strict laws against nationalist assembly, including advocating for governmental causes successful different countries.

In 2020, Singaporean activistic Jolovan Wham was charged with unlawful assembly for concisely posing with a cardboard cutout of a smiley look successful protestation against the curtailment of state of code successful the country.