Spanish MP accuses footballer Ferran Torres of real estate speculation in Valencia

Hupu Football News — July 22. According to El Mundo and multiple media reports, on July 21, Alberto Ibáñez, a member of the Compromís party under the Spanish Sumar coalition and the spokesperson for housing affairs in Congress, publicly criticised Spanish national team forward Ferran Torres. Ibáñez accused Torres of engaging in real estate speculation in the Valencia region through an investment fund.

During a press conference that day, Ibáñez leveraged the recent hot topic of the Spanish national team defending their World Cup title, drawing a stark contrast between the glory on the pitch and the severe housing crisis at home. By comparing economic data from the World Cup-winning years of 2010 and 2026, he highlighted that while Spain's minimum wage had risen from €633 to €1,184, housing costs had spiralled out of control. Taking Valencia as an example:

• In 2010, €500 was enough to rent an entire apartment.
• Now, the same budget can barely afford a single room in a shared apartment.
• The average monthly rent for a single room has reached €550.

Amid this livelihood crisis, Ibáñez directly targeted Ferran Torres' company, "Eleven Future Invest." Citing a Forbes report, he labelled the firm a "vulture fund" and noted that it had already accumulated 20 properties in Valencia. Ibáñez argued that such companies profit purely through speculative practices such as buying low and selling high or driving up rents, severely squeezing the living space of ordinary citizens.

Facing the unsustainable housing situation, Ibáñez called on the government to take decisive action. He urged Congress to expedite a draft law proposed by the Sumar party, which would explicitly prohibit investment funds and similar entities from acquiring housing for speculative purposes, thereby protecting the residential housing market from malicious financial speculation.

Source: El Mundo, Spain

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