Pique's property situated on 250 graves in one of largest necropolises in Spain

In the weirdest story of the day, a whopping 250 graves have been found underneath Gerard Pique's property in Malaga.

The Barcelona defender, 35, wants to build a luxury hotel on Spain's famous Costa del Sol after purchasing the land for around $20million (£17.3m) in 2015. Yet the project has run into complications after archaeologists bizarrely found dozens of graves.

"We have excavated about 250 tombs, of which the vast majority are empty," said archaeologist Alberto Cumpian. "Possibly, the tombs were never used, and are not valuable enough to be preserved. It is one of the largest necropolises in the country."

Yet Cumpian has confirmed these are historical tombs and the remarkable discovery should only delay Pique's project for a brief period. The Spaniard is set to get the green light to proceed in January and no further complications are expected.

The graves were buried underneath an old cinema in the centre of Malaga, which has been demolished to make way for the new complex. It's believed the graves date from the 15th century, although their exact origin is still being determined.

Cumpian has previously explained: "The tombs are empty, possibly never used, and are not valuable enough to be preserved."

Would you stay at Gerard Pique's hotel once it is built? Let us know in the comments below!

Pique is preparing for life after football and has several business interests. He launched Kosmos - a sports and media investment company - in 2018 and employs more than 100 people. "It's something that came natural," Pique told Gary Neville on The Overlap.

"I was playing here in Barcelona and I realised that I have some time where I finish training and I have nothing to do. I really wanted to explore the possibility of doing [a] business [venture], but it's not about business or making money.

"It's true that when you enter this world you want to make money because [that's a sign] you are succeeding and this is what you want. But what I really like about this process is about meeting very interesting people who are much smarter than me.

"You learn a lot, you travel, you live experiences that you don't live in the football world... We are very focused and we really like it. It's not about money, it's because we really feel that we want to do it."

Pique has enjoyed a stunning career for Manchester United, Barcelona and Spain. He's won 35 trophies at club and international level - including the Premier League title, eight LaLiga titles, four Champions Leagues, the World Cup and two European Championships.

Pique hit the headlines earlier this year when his 11-year relationship with singer Shakira ended. The defender's existing deal expires in June 2024 and it's unclear whether he will sign a new contract, as he's now taking his football career "year by year". He has no plans of going into coaching but is interested in becoming Barcelona's president one day.

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