According to Spanish website Cadena Ser, Dani Amatriain, Jorge Lorenzo’s and the Espargaro brothers, Pol and Alex’s manager till their split last year, was arrested yesterday in Barcellona for death threats against his former riders, obstruction of justice and damages.
Apparently the threats have been going on for months, but in this last period have escalated and have ranged from harassing phone calls at all hours of the day and night and personally threatening his ex riders with bodily harm over unsolved contract disputes.
Amatirian announced his retirement last October citing that he wished to spend more time with his family and son, however paddock gossip in that period ran wild with rumors on what really happened, and why Lorenzo and other riders were cutting the Spanish manager off.
Gossip went from saying that Amatriain was caught with his hand in Jorge Lorenzo’s very deep cookie jar and others were saying that the manager was abusing cocaine and that he had been arrested for DUI.
Amatirian was also Alberto Puig’s (Dani Pedrosa’s manager) biggest rival on track and off.
Their rivalry was so fierce that when both riders turned manager, the carried on their feud using their top riders Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa as go betweens.
Even the King of Spain Juan Carlos, an avid motorcyclist and racing fan tried to play the peacemaker on Jerez 2008 podium when he grabbed the two Spanish riders hands and forced them to shake hands.