KUALA LUMPUR: A former Arsenal and Chelsea football club star and his family are facing eviction from their apartment in Bissone, Switzerland due to a dispute over unpaid rent.
Cesc Fàbregas, 37, a Spaniard, who is now managing Italian club Como, is allegedly falling behind in his rent at the luxury apartment in the Swiss town near Lugano, which is located 24.14km (15 miles) from the Italian border.
His landlords told the Italian media outlet, Liberatv that Fàbregas owed them 34,000 Swiss francs or RM17,200,000 in overdue rent in the past four months. It is believed that his monthly rent is about 8,000 Swiss francs.
Liberatv reported last Thursday (Sept 12) that the landlords are now resorting to legal action after repeated warnings and letters were not asnwered to.
The home owner filed an eviction notice with the magistrate's court earlier this month.
"We have even tried to contact his lawyer, but even on this front nothing to do ...," the home owner was quoted by Liberatv.
However, United Kingdom tabloid The Sun quoted Fàbregas' lawyer, Roy Bay, as denying the claims, stating that all rent payments have been made in full to date, despite some delays due to ongoing issues with the apartment building.
The Como Italian football club is struggling in Serie A. The club is currently 18th out of 20 teams after failing to secure a win in their first four matches.