Judicial embargo puts the sale of Club Deportivo Eldense to Leo Messi on hold
The future of Club Deportivo Eldense is at a moment of uncertainty following a Madrid court’s decision to order the preventive seizure of 15.8% of the entity’s shares. This block of shares belongs to the club’s former president, Colombian businesswoman Carolina Holguin, who is facing a lawsuit for non-payment filed by the previous owner, Pascual Pérez.
The precautionary measure arises in a critical context for the Spanish institution, as it is taking place in parallel to the process of selling the club to the Argentine star Leo Messi, an operation that had been recently communicated by the team’s board of directors.
The origin of the legal conflict
The controversy has its roots in the transaction carried out on October 6, 2025, when the company El Flautista, linked to Pascual Pérez, sold all of Eldense’s shares to Holguin for a value of 6.294 million euros. This sum included 5.245 million corresponding to debts that were assumed by the new owner.
Subsequently, in December of that same year, a loan agreement for one million euros was formalized, of which Pérez transferred almost the entire amount (998,000 euros) to Holguin. Given the failure to meet the agreed payment deadlines, the former owner initiated legal action.
The businessman requested a precautionary seizure of 100% of the club’s shares, arguing that the imminent sale to Leo Messi could compromise his ability to recover the outstanding debt.
Embargo details and club situation
- The court partially accepted the request, decreeing the seizure of 499 shares, which represents 15.8% of the share capital.
- This figure is in direct proportion to the debt claimed in relation to the total purchase value of the team.
- Carolina Holguin has a period of 20 days to file her opposition to this court order, which is final.
Although Holguin recently announced his departure from the presidency and the sale of the entity to the captain of the Argentine national team, the financial details and the definitive terms of this transaction remain confidential. So far, Eldense has not issued official information regarding who currently holds the highest authority on the board of directors or how this legal conflict will affect Messi’s arrival at the club.
For now, the legal dispute between Pérez and Holguin will continue its course in the courts, keeping the fans and the sports sector waiting for a resolution that defines the definitive direction of the team.
