Rio de Janeiro, April 10 (IANS) A Brazilian civil court has blocked bank accounts and seized property belonging to former Brazil and Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo over an unpaid lawsuit.
The decision is the latest attempt to force the 60-year-old to pay referee Rodrigo Martins Cintra $68,000 for moral damages awarded in a 2006 civil action.
The case relates to a post-match press conference April 2, 2006, following Sao Paulo’s 3-1 victory over Santos in Brazil’s Campeonato Paulista.
“The only thing I didn’t like about the referee is that he was trying to flirt with me,” the then Santos coach said. “He didn’t stop looking at me. I’m not some kind of homosexual for the guy to stare at.”
In his defence, Luxemburgo said the comments were “routine” and commonly used towards match officials in Brazilian football.
But magistrates presiding over the case ruled Luxemburgo had “succeeded in offending Cintra by making him a public laughing stock”.
The initial penalty was $25,000, but the figure has more than quintupled due to Luxemburgo’s refusal to accept the charge.
Luxemburgo’s representatives were not available for comment when contacted by Xinhua Tuesday.
Now coach of Brazilian top flight club Gremio, Luxemburgo is the most successful manager in the country’s domestic football history with five Serie A titles.
He led Brazil’s national team from 1998 to 2000 and coached Real Madrid at the height of the Spanish club’s Galacticos era in 2004 and 2005.
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