Liverpool star faces bankruptcy and sells Champions League medal

 

Steve Finnan

Liverpool star faces bankruptcy and sells Champions League medal 

Former Liverpool player Steve Finnan is facing the risk of bankruptcy following a multi-million dollar dispute between the 2006 Champions League winner and his brother.
The 49-year-old Irish full-back enjoyed a successful career in a Liverpool shirt, winning the Champions League and the FA Cup in the first decade of the millennium, but became embroiled in a decade-long legal dispute with his brother Sean after they became involved in disastrous property investments together.

The story began in 2016, when he filed a lawsuit against his brother after becoming concerned about the way their investments were being managed, and the two agreed to a $5 million settlement in 2018.
However, the former player did not receive his money and his brother declared bankruptcy in July 2019.
This was followed by a series of legal battles with the player's lawyers, including a claim for damages for negligence estimated at around US$9 million, and the case ended with Finnan facing bills for costs reaching five figures.

Finan has not paid his debts since that case and is now facing bankruptcy proceedings from the Central London County Court – according to The Independent.
The former Liverpool star attended a hearing before the High Court on Monday, attempting to appeal previous decisions in the bankruptcy case. However, he was told that his appeal was "hopeless" and that he was only "delaying" matters.

Finnan, who represented himself, claimed that his case was "too complicated" to be heard in the county court, and said there was "apparent bias against him" by the judge before questioning her jurisdiction.
In an attempt to cover the costs of the case, Finnan sold his 2005 Champions League winning medal for no less than US$15,000, in addition to the shirts he wore in the matches.
Finnan began his career with Welling United, and rose to the top of football after wearing the "Reds" shirt between 2003 and 2008.

He played 52 matches for the Republic of Ireland national team, and in 2005 he was part of the Liverpool team that came back from a 3-0 deficit against Milan to win the Champions League title.
Finnan retired in 2010 and entered the real estate business, undertaking a property project in southwest London, managed through two companies he owned with his brother Sean before it collapsed.