Dani Cuesta/X
Dani Cuesta posted photos from several locations in Singapore, including the exterior of what is believed to be Peter Lim's home.
A Spanish couple on their honeymoon in Singapore have been arrested after protesting against the Singaporean owner of the football club they support.
Dani Cuesta posted photos of himself outside the house of Peter Lim, the billionaire owner of Valencia CF, holding a banner criticizing the business mogul.
Mr Cuesta and his partner Mireia Sáez were arrested on Friday as they tried to leave Singapore airport and their passports were confiscated, Valencia Mayor María José Catalá told Spanish radio Onda Cero.
It's unclear what, if any, charges are against the two men, but the case will be resolved later on Wednesday, according to the BBC.
Singapore has some of the strictest laws in the world on public meetings, which even include meetings of just one person.
The government says these laws are necessary to maintain order and security.
In 2020, a Singaporean activist who had long campaigned for freedom of expression was arrested for posing with a sign depicting a smiley face.
Shortly after arriving in Singapore on Thursday, Mr Cuesta posted on X that he would “take some photos with my lovely flag”, which read “Lim Go Home”.
Mr Lim is deeply unpopular with Valencia fans, who have seen their club's fortunes decline significantly during his ten years in office.
Encouraged by netizens, Mr Cuesta posted a series of photos of himself at various tourist spots in Singapore, holding the yellow banner.
Another image shows him outside what is believed to be the luxury compound where Mr Lim lives in Singapore.
A video he posted shows Mr. Cuesta placing a yellow sticker reading “Lim out,” a common sight in the city of Valencia, on the gate of the residence.
The footage quickly went viral among Valencia fans and Mr Cuesta even gave an interview to a Valencia football podcast on Thursday.
He explained that as soon as his wife suggested he go to Singapore and Bali, he had a “lightbulb moment” and decided to buy stickers and a banner.
“We spent the whole morning driving around Singapore, spending money on taxis and putting stickers on lamp posts. I told him 'this is something we need to do',” Mr. Cuesta at Tribuna Deportiva.
“Luckily I have my passport and we will fly to Bali tomorrow,” he added.
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Disgruntled Valencia fans have been protesting Mr Lim's tenure for several years.
Mr Cuesta had earlier joked about X that he did not want to “end up in a Singapore prison because that's not how I see my honeymoon going”.
The next day, while trying to board a flight to Bali, Singapore authorities arrested Mr. Cuesta and Ms. Sáez, according to the mayor of Valencia.
“(The Spanish Embassy in Singapore) has confirmed that two people have had their passports confiscated, due to an ongoing police investigation,” Ms Catalá told Spanish radio Onda Cero.
“They have not been told what type of crime they are being investigated for. They can leave their hotel but not the country,” she added.
Valencia CF, for its part, said it was aware of the situation of two supporters of the club in Singapore.
“Valencia CF and La Liga are in contact with the Spanish Embassy in Singapore, who have assured us that they are both advised and assisted in everything necessary with the aim of resolving this issue as quickly as possible “, the club said in a press release.
Neither the Spanish embassy in Singapore nor Singapore police responded to the BBC's request for comment.
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Peter Lim, left, is one of Singapore's richest men and has owned Valencia CF since 2014.
Who is Peter Lim?
One of Singapore's richest men, Mr Lim bought Valencia CF in 2014 and became the first foreign owner in the club's history.
After an initial honeymoon period, he quickly became unpopular with fans as the team's performances declined and the club accumulated huge debts off the field.
Traditionally a team that fights for the league and European titles, Valencia currently occupy the penultimate place in the championship.
Mr Lim was notably criticized for his friendship with Portuguese “super agent” Jorge Mendes and his alleged influence on the recruitment of the club's players and coaches.
Another associate of Mr Lim is former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, with whom he co-owned English lower league club Salford City until earlier this year.
Despite having no managerial experience, Mr Neville was appointed head coach of Valencia in 2015 but was sacked four months later after a disastrous spell in charge of the club.
Libertad VCF, a Valencia supporters group, said in a statement it had “full support and solidarity” with the recently married couple and called for their “immediate release”.
“Their freedom of movement was violated, simply because they peacefully exercised their right to expression,” the statement added.
