Jesús Gil
Encyclopedia
Gregorio Jesús Gil y Gil (March 11, 1933 – May 14, 2004) was a Spanish businessman and politician. He served as Mayor of Marbella, between 1996 and 2002, and was also known for his 16-year stint as president of Spanish football club Atlético Madrid.
, Gil made most of his money in the construction business. He was arrested and spent time in jail in 1967 when one of his buildings in Los Ángeles de San Rafael (Segovia
) collapsed, killing 58 people. He was eventually released by order of the Spanish Head of State
Francisco Franco
, after allegedly paying a sum of money.
winger Paulo Futre
), where he initiated a volatile relationship with fans, reporters, players and head coaches (his team's and the opponents') alike. In 1992 he shut down Atlético's youth academy, which saw talented 15-year-old Raúl switch to crosstown rivals Real Madrid
and eventually achieve legendary status there. He quickly became disdained by much of Atlético's following.
Winning the La Liga
became an obsession for Gil as he impulsively went through head coaches before Raddy Antic finally delivered the league title in 1996 - the club's first in 19 years. Along the way, Gil was involved in many public incidents.
An infamous event was his row with José María Caneda and José González Fidalgo (SD Compostela
club's president and chief executive officer, respectively) in front of the Professional League headquarters in 1996, allegedly due to Caneda's prior derision of the inhabitants of Marbella
for electing Gil as their mayor
- he had won the seat on May 26, 1991. After a first verbal exchange with both Caneda and Fidalgo, Gil punched the latter in the face and a noisy altercation ensued, both in front of the building and along its hallways and stairways, during all of which Gil, protected by his bodyguards and broadcast live via TV and radio, boisterously uttered phrases such as "¡Ha insultado a toda la gente de Marbella, el 'hijoputa' este que es un ladrón!" ("This son of a bitch, this thief, has insulted the people of Marbella!").
The swift and instinctive action of the bodyguards, and their demeanor towards both Caneda and Fidalgo, are probably all the more significant since most of Marbella's local police were recruited indirectly by Gil among legionnaires
and members of other elite military forces throughout southern Spain and Northern Africa during the 80s and 90s, and some of these officers usually comprised Gil's own private garde de corps.
In a March 1997 incident as the two teams met in the 1996–97 Champions League quarterfinals, Gil referred to Ajax Amsterdam, due to its many players of Surinamese origin, as FC Congo
.
At the beginning of 2008, a full, two-episode documentary appeared in Tele 5
explaining the highlights of his life and career.
punctuated by sexist, homophobic, racist and xenophobic remarks and, occasionally, by pre-democratic nostalgia.
It was not unusual for him to publicly and loudly refer to former Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSOE) town councilor Isabel García Marcos as a "whore" during town council meetings and, on one occasion, he dubbed journalist Carmen Rigalt as "jinetera del periodismo" (prostitute of journalism). His critics labeled his business dealings as shady, hinting at ties to organized crime. The Málaga coastline
, effectively under the area of economic and political influence of the Gil family, became a popular residence for British
, Italian
, and Russian gangsters while he was mayor, as well as a haven for former Nazis either awaiting or avoiding extradition, such as Otto Remer and, most famously, Léon Degrelle
.
At the same time, however, Gil instigated several crackdowns on drug users and prostitutes. He was involved in several criminal cases, including the so called Caso de las camisetas. and Caso Atlético. Although it is true that blue collar crime rates and open manifestations of poverty decreased dramatically during the first years of his administration, there was widespread public perception, and some evidence, that most of this apparent success was obtained to the expense of civil liberties
and freedom of speech
, and that the means employed to this end were objectable to say the least. Those included: beatings of petty delinquents and prostitutes, deportation of foreigners with a low income, individual handouts of moderate sums of money to homeless people in exchange for leaving town, etc.
The subsequent improvement in the lifestyle of a segment of the population, albeit more apparent than real, was one of the main reasons for his landslide reelections. Some celebrities residing in Marbella, such as Gunilla von Bismarck and Sean Connery
, at times participated in Gil's campaigns for reelection.
Business
Born in El Burgo de Osma, SoriaSoria (province)
Soria is a province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Most of the province is in the mountainous Sistema Ibérico areaIt is bordered by the provinces of La Rioja, Zaragoza, Guadalajara, Segovia, and Burgos....
, Gil made most of his money in the construction business. He was arrested and spent time in jail in 1967 when one of his buildings in Los Ángeles de San Rafael (Segovia
Segovia (province)
Segovia is a province of central/northern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Burgos, Soria, Guadalajara, Madrid, Ávila, and Valladolid....
) collapsed, killing 58 people. He was eventually released by order of the Spanish Head of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, after allegedly paying a sum of money.
Football
In 1987, Gil was elected president at football side Atlético Madrid (his first signing being 21-year-old PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
winger Paulo Futre
Paulo Futre
Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played mostly as a left winger.After exploding at Sporting Clube de Portugal well before his 20th birthday, he soon moved to Futebol Clube do Porto, after which he embarked in an extensive career - until 1998 - having...
), where he initiated a volatile relationship with fans, reporters, players and head coaches (his team's and the opponents') alike. In 1992 he shut down Atlético's youth academy, which saw talented 15-year-old Raúl switch to crosstown rivals Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and eventually achieve legendary status there. He quickly became disdained by much of Atlético's following.
Winning the La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
became an obsession for Gil as he impulsively went through head coaches before Raddy Antic finally delivered the league title in 1996 - the club's first in 19 years. Along the way, Gil was involved in many public incidents.
An infamous event was his row with José María Caneda and José González Fidalgo (SD Compostela
SD Compostela
Sociedade Deportiva Compostela also known as Compostela is a Spanish football team based in Santiago de Compostela, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Founded on 26 June 1962, it currently plays in Preferente Autonómica.-History:...
club's president and chief executive officer, respectively) in front of the Professional League headquarters in 1996, allegedly due to Caneda's prior derision of the inhabitants of Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
for electing Gil as their mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
- he had won the seat on May 26, 1991. After a first verbal exchange with both Caneda and Fidalgo, Gil punched the latter in the face and a noisy altercation ensued, both in front of the building and along its hallways and stairways, during all of which Gil, protected by his bodyguards and broadcast live via TV and radio, boisterously uttered phrases such as "¡Ha insultado a toda la gente de Marbella, el 'hijoputa' este que es un ladrón!" ("This son of a bitch, this thief, has insulted the people of Marbella!").
The swift and instinctive action of the bodyguards, and their demeanor towards both Caneda and Fidalgo, are probably all the more significant since most of Marbella's local police were recruited indirectly by Gil among legionnaires
Spanish Legion
The Spanish Legion , formerly Spanish Foreign Legion, is an elite unit of the Spanish Army and Spain's Rapid Reaction Force. Founded as the Tercio de Extranjeros , it was originally intended as a Spanish equivalent of the French Foreign Legion, but in practice it recruited almost exclusively...
and members of other elite military forces throughout southern Spain and Northern Africa during the 80s and 90s, and some of these officers usually comprised Gil's own private garde de corps.
In a March 1997 incident as the two teams met in the 1996–97 Champions League quarterfinals, Gil referred to Ajax Amsterdam, due to its many players of Surinamese origin, as FC Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
Politics
In 1991, Gil founded and led the Grupo Independiente Liberal (GIL) as his political vehicle. In April 2002, he was banned for 28 years from holding public office, forced to stand down as mayor and briefly imprisoned. He died from a brain hemorrhage, aged 71.At the beginning of 2008, a full, two-episode documentary appeared in Tele 5
Tele 5
Tele 5 is a commercial television channel in Germany. The channel is largely known for showing classic American films and series, Japanese Anime and Shows.Tele 5 broadcasts from the Astra 1H, 1M, and 3A satellites and is uplinked by ASTRA Platform Services....
explaining the highlights of his life and career.
Political reputation
Gil was famous and controversial for his extreme right-wing political views, summed up in a unique brand of foulmouthed, low-brow populismPopulism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
punctuated by sexist, homophobic, racist and xenophobic remarks and, occasionally, by pre-democratic nostalgia.
It was not unusual for him to publicly and loudly refer to former Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
(PSOE) town councilor Isabel García Marcos as a "whore" during town council meetings and, on one occasion, he dubbed journalist Carmen Rigalt as "jinetera del periodismo" (prostitute of journalism). His critics labeled his business dealings as shady, hinting at ties to organized crime. The Málaga coastline
Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol is a region in the south of Spain, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the Mediterranean coastline of the Málaga province. The Costa del Sol is situated between two lesser known costas: Costa de la Luz and Costa Tropical...
, effectively under the area of economic and political influence of the Gil family, became a popular residence for British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Russian gangsters while he was mayor, as well as a haven for former Nazis either awaiting or avoiding extradition, such as Otto Remer and, most famously, Léon Degrelle
Léon Degrelle
Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle was a Walloon Belgian politician, who founded Rexism and later joined the Waffen SS which were front-line troops in the fight against the Soviet Union...
.
At the same time, however, Gil instigated several crackdowns on drug users and prostitutes. He was involved in several criminal cases, including the so called Caso de las camisetas. and Caso Atlético. Although it is true that blue collar crime rates and open manifestations of poverty decreased dramatically during the first years of his administration, there was widespread public perception, and some evidence, that most of this apparent success was obtained to the expense of civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
and freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, and that the means employed to this end were objectable to say the least. Those included: beatings of petty delinquents and prostitutes, deportation of foreigners with a low income, individual handouts of moderate sums of money to homeless people in exchange for leaving town, etc.
The subsequent improvement in the lifestyle of a segment of the population, albeit more apparent than real, was one of the main reasons for his landslide reelections. Some celebrities residing in Marbella, such as Gunilla von Bismarck and Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, at times participated in Gil's campaigns for reelection.
In popular culture
- Gil is the main character in the 1994 song "Surreal Madrid" by British indie band ProlapseProlapse (band)Prolapse were a musical group formed in Leicester, England, UK active from c.1992 to c.2000. The group's sound was a mixture of punk rock, krautrock and shoegazing styles....
.