The family of two Valencia fans who were detained in Singapore after protesting against Peter Lim’s ownership say they are now set to return to Spain.
It was previously reported that the couple had their passports confiscated following an act of protest against Lim’s ownership of the La Liga club.
The couple, who were on their honeymoon, were held by authorities after placing a ‘Lim Out’ sticker on the entrance of a hotel in Singapore, which Dani Cuesta claimed to be owned by Lim. The Singapore authorities became aware of this and Cuesta and his wife were detained the next day.
Singapore police declined to comment on the detention of the couple when The Athletic asked them about this — saying they could not comment on individual cases.
The Singapore police force confirmed on Wednesday that a report had been lodged against a 34-year-old man and his 30-year-old wife. They had been prevented from leaving the country as their passports were confiscated during the investigation.
However, according to a statement on behalf of the couple, Singaporean authorities have now reinstated their passports, and they will be flying back to Valencia on the first available flight. The pair were given a formal warning and no charges were filed.
“Everything has been left in a reprimand,” the statement read. “We want to thank all those people and institutions (embassy of Spain in Singapore and government delegation in Valencia) who have been really concerned about them and regret the noise generated by others who have delayed, for personal interests, the resolution of this nightmare.
“Thanking again all those who have sent us their support these days, our request at this time is that you respect the privacy of the family to be able to return to tranquility and recover the normality of everyday life.”
Former Valencia vice president Miguel Zorio had publicly suggested that Lim “incited” the arrests and alleged that Lim’s personal security staff had been involved in taking the pair into custody.
At 71, Lim is one of Singapore’s wealthiest individuals, and took over Valencia in 2014. However, he has fallen out of favour with a significant portion of the club’s supporters, prompting regular rallies and protests against his ownership.
(Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
