By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
West Ham’s Edson Álvarez has been accused of knowing about an alleged kidnapping in Mexico after filmmaker Juan José López Ordóñez publicly accused members of the player’s family of being connected to the incident in November 2024.
It must be stressed that these are serious, unsubstantiated allegations made by Ordóñez. There has been no finding establishing Álvarez’s involvement in any kidnapping.
Ordóñez made the bizarre claims in an interview with TVNotas, which have been translated below.
“Edson and I had a conflict four years ago. He asked me, since the previous World Cup (2022), to film a documentary about his entire career on Super 8. The work was arduous. We spent 4 to 8 hours a day. The filming wasn’t easy; it lasted 2 years.”
“Through his father-in-law, I told Edson that he had to pay 3.5 million pesos (£152,800) for this documentary. He was planning to sell it to Netflix. Two people knew about it: Angelito Flores and Vanessa Changerotti, who live in Madrid and work for this platform.”
The film producer claimed he didn’t ask for any advance money because the footballer was supposed to pay at the end, adding: “I have everything recorded on video.”
Filmmaker Makes Kidnapping Allegations
According to Ordóñez, the conflict arose when he demanded payment from the player.
“His in-laws stopped allowing me to communicate with him. That’s where the problem stemmed from. It became more difficult, and he refused to answer me anymore.”
Ordóñez then alleged that events escalated dramatically on November 3, 2024 following a separate dispute concerning a property.
“It was November 3, 2024. I claimed a property that I had given to Jonathan (Álvarez’s father-in-law). He became a co-owner, without any investment, of one of my properties in the San Rafael neighbourhood, valued at 30 million pesos. Jonathan invited me to a notary’s office and asked me to sign a sham loan. Later, to evade the commitment of both Edson Álvarez (3.5 million pesos) and my assets, they had me kidnapped!”
“Jonathan sent people to buy the property from me: one of Cuban origin and another Mexican. The kidnapping took place on Moliere Street, at the corner of Homero. I was driving my car, they pulled the doors open and the two women got in. I heard them saying they were taking me to Chalco. They threatened me and blindfolded me. They had weapons. I was kidnapped for half a day.”
Alvarez is believed is be preparing a statement
Ordóñez went on to make further allegations about what happened during the alleged kidnapping.
“The most lethal thing was when they inserted a syringe into my neck. I heard them saying, ‘We received orders, we’re going to fuck you up, you’re going to die, you’re screwed! We received instructions from Jonathan, Edson’s father-in-law.’”
Ordóñez claims he subsequently learned Álvarez knew about what had happened.
“I found out from people who knew us, and also from the kidnappers. I managed to escape because they made a stop beforehand. They stopped past the viaduct and Tlalpan, and turned onto a street. It was daytime, and some people witnessed it and started recording. A couple had the courage to see what was happening. The kidnappers fled. The car was left in the middle of the street, and I was inside.”
He further claims that emergency services and police attended before he filed a report.
“The ambulance arrived, along with patrol cars, and they took me to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Lomas de Chapultepec. I filed a report. There I mentioned the names of his accomplices, referring to him as ‘son-in-law’ and ‘daughter.’ The father-in-law refused to take any more calls, but when he found out I was alive and that there was a report, he paid money to stop the entire investigation.”
That allegation, like the others made by Ordóñez, has not been independently established.
Ordóñez also claimed he continues to receive threats and has repeatedly changed address as a result.
“I still receive death threats. I’ve had to live like a gypsy, changing addresses every two or three months. From poor neighbourhoods to others. That’s how my wife, Lorenza, and I have lived.”
Ordóñez Explains Why He Has Spoken Out
Responding to a question about why he had given the interview to TVNotas now, Ordóñez said:
“When you’re threatened and live in fear, you hold back a lot, for your family. I’m turning to you because I know you share many things, and I speak without filters.”
The producer said he wanted “to make it public, for the footballer to consider repairing the damage, because the moral and psychological damage cannot be repaired, for them to commit to not continuing to threaten us and to let us live in peace. I want him to pay me, because this is my life’s work.”
On Álvarez, Ordóñez added:
“He’s egotistical, insensitive; he’s lost touch with reality. It’s not normal for him to demand that a shop be closed in Monaco so he can shop. I ask him: ‘Why don’t you want to pay me, and why lose that sensitivity when you come from a humble background?’ Edson, make amends, and we can each have our drinks. I have proof of all this: photos on a hard drive, a USB drive, and witnesses.”
Source Dismisses Álvarez Involvement
Reports in Mexico suggest Álvarez’s camp is preparing a statement in response to the allegations.
Claret & Hugh has previously spoken directly with Álvarez’s representatives regarding the midfielder, and C&H has now reached out to a person close to the player about these latest claims.
That source dismissed any suggestion Álvarez had knowledge of or involvement in the alleged kidnapping.
The source told C&H that this was a dispute over money and said the usual course of action when a contract is alleged to have been breached would be to instruct lawyers and fight the matter through the courts.
Álvarez remains a West Ham player following a summer in which his future was uncertain, with the Mexican midfielder ultimately remaining in East London.
I like him even more now.