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ASTON Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel is fighting to clear a £5 million bankruptcy judgement on a soccer school he runs in his native US.
The ruling was made against the former international goalkeeper, who earns more than £40,000 each week, at Macclesfield County Court in Cheshire.
It relates to the 28-acre Premier Soccer Academy he fronts in Lorain County, Ohio, that opened in 2007.
Lenders RBS Citizen took action in the US and, according to court documents, the goalkeeper owes nearly £5 million.
The Lorain County auditor’s website also lists more than £250,000 in unpaid property taxes on the academy. It is the latest blow for the Holte End hero and comes a month after repossession proceedings began on a £260,000 house in Ohio belonging to the footballer.
A spokesman for the Villa star said: “This is a technical bankruptcy and it is not anticipated that it will be in place for long as an application for an annulment will be submitted in the next few days.
“Arrangements are in place to deal with the issues which gave rise to the bankruptcy.”
Friedel, 39, who lives in an exclusive Cheshire mansion with his wife Tracey and daughters Izabella and Allegra, claimed the academy was a non-profit business.
“I don’t make any money on it,” he was quoted as saying. The venture, which was established to help US youngsters break into the European game, ran into trouble when commercial revenue dried up and it struggled to attract enough trainees willing to pay a yearly fee of more than £20,000.
The goalkeeper, set to play against Manchester City today, is in the final year of his contract at Villa Park. He could be released when his deal expires in the summer as the club looks to bring in fresh blood under new boss Gerard Houllier.
He has made 98 appearances for Villa since joining from Blackburn Rovers for £2.5 million in 2008. He also has 82 international caps for the United States.
Friedel has also played for Liverpool and has spells in Denmark and Turkey.
Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/t...#ixzz1Bn4CU8i6
The ruling was made against the former international goalkeeper, who earns more than £40,000 each week, at Macclesfield County Court in Cheshire.
It relates to the 28-acre Premier Soccer Academy he fronts in Lorain County, Ohio, that opened in 2007.
Lenders RBS Citizen took action in the US and, according to court documents, the goalkeeper owes nearly £5 million.
The Lorain County auditor’s website also lists more than £250,000 in unpaid property taxes on the academy. It is the latest blow for the Holte End hero and comes a month after repossession proceedings began on a £260,000 house in Ohio belonging to the footballer.
A spokesman for the Villa star said: “This is a technical bankruptcy and it is not anticipated that it will be in place for long as an application for an annulment will be submitted in the next few days.
“Arrangements are in place to deal with the issues which gave rise to the bankruptcy.”
Friedel, 39, who lives in an exclusive Cheshire mansion with his wife Tracey and daughters Izabella and Allegra, claimed the academy was a non-profit business.
“I don’t make any money on it,” he was quoted as saying. The venture, which was established to help US youngsters break into the European game, ran into trouble when commercial revenue dried up and it struggled to attract enough trainees willing to pay a yearly fee of more than £20,000.
The goalkeeper, set to play against Manchester City today, is in the final year of his contract at Villa Park. He could be released when his deal expires in the summer as the club looks to bring in fresh blood under new boss Gerard Houllier.
He has made 98 appearances for Villa since joining from Blackburn Rovers for £2.5 million in 2008. He also has 82 international caps for the United States.
Friedel has also played for Liverpool and has spells in Denmark and Turkey.
Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/t...#ixzz1Bn4CU8i6
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