Jesús Gil
| Jesús Gil | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Mayor of Marbella | |
|
In office 15 June 1991 – 24 April 2002 |
|
| Deputy | Pedro Román |
| Preceded by | Francisco Parra Medina |
| Succeeded by | Julián Muñoz |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gregorio Jesús Gil y Gil 12 March 1933 El Burgo de Osma, Castile and León, Spain |
| Died | 14 May 2004 (aged 71) Madrid, Spain |
| Resting place | Cementerio de la Almudena |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Political party | GIL |
| Spouse(s) | María de los Angeles Marín Cobo |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Gregorio Jesús Gil y Gil (12 March 1933 – 14 May 2004) was a Spanish businessman and politician. He served as Mayor of Marbella between 1991 and 2002, and presided for a 16-year tenure as president of the Spanish football club Atlético Madrid.
In the 1960s Gil ran a construction firm building gated communities. A complex he had built in San Rafael, near Segovia, collapsed in 1969, killing 58 people and injuring many others. A subsequent investigation showed that the cement in the new building had not yet set, and the whole project had been completed without use of architects, surveyors, or plans. Gil was sentenced to five years in prison, but was pardoned after 18 months by General Francisco Franco.
In 1987, Gil was elected president at football side Atlético Madrid (his first signing was that of 21-year-old Portuguese winger Paulo Futre), where he initiated a volatile relationship with fans, reporters, players and head coaches. In 1992 he shut down Atlético's youth academy, which saw talented 15-year-old Raúl switch to crosstown rivals Real Madrid.
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 1980s/90s, and some of these officers 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.
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